California Lawmaker Aisha Wahab Wins Special Election to Succeed Eric Swalwell in Congress
Wahab won after AIPAC-linked groups spent about $2.5 million against her in the final weeks, NBC News projected.
- Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab won California's 14th Congressional District special election on Thursday, NBC News projects, and will serve the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell's term ending in January.
- Wahab defeated Democrat Melissa Hernandez, a Bay Area Rapid Transit Board member, after the two advanced from the June primary where Wahab took 43% to Hernandez's 17%.
- A super PAC aligned with the Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent about $2.5 million against Wahab in the race's final weeks, yet with 95% of the vote counted, Wahab led 53% to 47%.
- Wahab has criticized Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza as genocide, and her campaign website panned "AIPAC-linked dark-money PACs" for "trying to" tear her down.
- While AIPAC-linked PACs won key victories in Illinois and Missouri, the United Democracy Project spent more than $30 million in Michigan yet failed to secure a win there.
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US elections: Aisha Wahab becomes first Afghan-American in Congress
US elections: Aisha Wahab becomes first Afghan-American in Congress Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 08/21/2026 - 18:19 Wahab will assume the seat of Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April, but she will still compete in the November midterms California State Senator Aisha Wahab speaks to reporters during an election night watch party at Firefighters Local 1909 in Hayward, California on 18 August 2026 (Heather Diehl/Getty Images via AFP) Off The…
California state Senator Aisha Wahab opposed by AIPAC wins California special election
California state Senator Aisha Wahab will serve out the remainder of former representative Eric Swalwell’s term after securing victory Thursday in a special election, The Times of Israel reported.
Far-Left Afghan American Wins Special Election to Replace Eric Swalwell
The irony is hard to miss. Wahab invokes the American Dream even as she embraces a political agenda that would dramatically transform the country that made her own remarkable rise possible.
From Kabul to US Congress, Aisha Wahab gives Dems a nudge to the left
Aisha Wahab, who is of Afghan-American descent, made history by being the first to be elected to the U.S. Congress following a special election. Her success underscores a significant and evolving shift towards progressive values within the Democratic Party, particularly reflected in recent primary victories across various states. This rise of progressive lawmakers has sparked concern among establishment Democrats, indicating a possible change in…
Wahab wins race to replace Swalwell in House
What happenedCalifornia state Sen. Aisha Wahab (D) on Thursday secured victory in the special election to serve out the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-Calif.) term in the House. With nearly all ballots counted from Tuesday’s vote, Wahab led fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez 53% to 47%. Swalwell resigned in April after multiple women accused him of sexual assault and harassment. The FBI seized his phone and laptop at the San Francisc…
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