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State Sen. Aisha Wahab is poised to become the first Afghan-American to serve in Congress and reclaim a Democratic vote in the U.S. House of Representatives after winning the special runoff election this week to fill the Tri-Valley seat in D.C. vacated by Eric Swalwell in April.
Wahab, whose political career started on the Hayward City Council nearly a decade ago, held a slim advantage over fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez after initial returns reported Tuesday night – but that margin widened to an insurmountable lead, albeit still single-digit, in the follow-up results drop Thursday afternoon.
“This victory belongs to the voters who made it clear that our district cannot be bought,” Wahab said in a statement Thursday.
“Through one of the ugliest, most expensive elections we’ve ever seen, we never took the bait or went negative. We stayed focused on the people, and I will fight for this district that raised me,” she added. “From foster care to Congress, this journey shows the possibility of the American Dream.”
It remains unclear when Wahab will begin serving the unexpired, five-month term for Congressional District 14, which includes part of the Tri-Valley and extends west into communities like Castro Valley, Hayward, Union City, Fremont and San Leandro. The results need to be certified by county and state officials and her swearing-in scheduled in Washington, D.C.
Hernandez, the current BART Board of Directors president and former Dublin mayor who finished a distant second place to Wahab in a special primary election in June, conceded the temporary term Thursday but said it was “game on” for the rematch between the two in November for a full term.
“I’ve been a fighter my whole life, and when I promised the residents of CA-14 I would fight for them, I never gave up,” Hernandez said in a statement Thursday.
“In just 63 days, we closed a gap from 26,000 votes to 6,000 votes by sharing our message of lowering housing costs, creating jobs, and supporting strong public safety,” she added. “Voters finally got the chance to see what I have been doing as a mom, Dublin’s Mayor, and a director of healthcare services.”
Noting the runoff in the general election will be based on slightly adjusted District 14 boundaries in the wake of Proposition 50 redistricting, Hernandez said, “The election for CA-14 in November will be in the new district lines, adding 26,000 Dublin voters who didn’t have the chance to vote for me in August. We’re looking forward to winning this on November 3rd with a more favorable district and a much larger electorate. Game on!”
Wahab and Hernandez were already part of a crowded regular primary election to help decide who would serve the next two-year term for District 14 starting in January 2027 – succeeding Swalwell, who was running for governor of California – when Swalwell abruptly resigned from Congress amid a sexual misconduct scandal in April. Swalwell denied allegations of criminal wrongdoing but acknowledged unspecified errors in judgment.
Swalwell’s resignation set the stage for a special election to complete the term he vacated under the pre-Prop 50 boundaries.
Wahab and Hernandez were among 11 candidates to file for the special primary election, which took place June 16, two weeks after the regular primary election that featured nine candidates – some of whom overlapped between both ballots.
In each election, Wahab finished comfortably in first place but below a majority while Hernandez edged a Republican opponent to earn second place and a spot in the runoff. In the special primary, Wahab had 42.82% to Hernandez’s 16.76%. The margin was 38.28% to 17.18% in the regular primary.
The difference became anything but comfortable for Wahab in the special runoff election.
The stage for a tight race was likely set by a contentious campaign in the closing weeks and days that featured an influx of financial support for Hernandez from outside groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Wahab also traded barbs with members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in recent weeks – including District 1 Supervisor David Haubert, for whose office Hernandez works – over her Senate Bill 1193 that targets discretionary spending by Alameda County.
Soon after polls closed Tuesday, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters’ Office reported the vote count at the end of Election Night as 51.04% Wahab to 48.96% Hernandez – too close to call the contest.
The numbers dropped by the registrar on Thursday afternoon showed a wider margin in favor of Wahab, 53.09% (51,610 votes) to 46.91% (45,598 votes), and sealed the victory for her. Turnout for the special election between the two Democrats sits at 22.60% of registered voters participating.
The county cited 252 ballots left to cure and two unprocessed ballots on Thursday. The results are expected to be finalized next week, with the county and state certification schedules unclear.
