Progressive state senator Aisha Wahab has won a special election to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Eric Swalwell, defeating more moderate candidate Melissa Hernandez. The race, which represented a key battleground in the ongoing internal conflict within the Democratic Party between its progressive and establishment wings, saw Wahab secure a decisive win.
Wahab garnered 42.8% of the vote in the special primary, significantly outperforming Hernandez's 16.8%. The election was held under California's top-two primary system, where the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. As both Wahab and Hernandez are Democrats, they effectively secured the district for the party, which President Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election.
While this victory determines who will serve the remaining two months of Swalwell's current term, Wahab and Hernandez are expected to face each other again in November for a full two-year term. Incumbents typically hold an advantage in general elections, but the upcoming race will occur under newly redrawn district boundaries that will take effect with California's latest redistricting.
Wahab's campaign received high-profile endorsements from figures including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, and labor activist Dolores Huerta. In contrast, Hernandez's campaign relied on significant super PAC funding and support from local officials.
During the campaign, Hernandez focused her attacks on Wahab's ethical record, citing alleged missteps during her tenure in Sacramento. Wahab, in turn, criticized Hernandez, alleging that her campaign benefited from conservative and pro-Israel funding. Specifically, Hernandez accused Wahab of circumventing campaign finance laws by routing funds through the Alameda County Democratic Party to finance pro-Wahab mailers. Wahab responded by pointing to Hernandez's alleged acceptance of donations from pro-Israel donors and expenditures by pro-Israel super PACs.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has emerged as a significant point of contention within the Democratic Party, with progressive factions aiming to challenge candidates who express support for Israel.
This special election outcome follows a trend where progressive candidates have experienced mixed results in recent Democratic primaries. While they achieved notable victories in New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Washington D.C. earlier in the election season, they have since underperformed expectations in races such as Michigan's Senate primary and Wisconsin's gubernatorial primary.