gg2
Aisha Wahab wins California special election
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Democrat Aisha Wahab wins California special election for Eric Swalwell's US House seat.
She becomes first Afghan American in Congress, filling seat left amid misconduct claims.
Background
The special election was triggered by the resignation of Rep. Eric Swalwell in April 2026 amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied. Wahab, a progressive state senator, faced BART board president Melissa Hernandez in a runoff after leading the primary by over 20 points. The race drew significant outside spending, notably from AIPAC's super PAC, which supported Hernandez.
How it unfolded
- Apr 2026Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from the House amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied, leaving his seat vacant.
- Jun 2, 2026In the regular primary for the full term, Wahab finished first with 38% of the vote, more than 20 points ahead of Hernandez.
- Jun 16, 2026In the special primary, Wahab received 43% to Hernandez's 17%, setting up a runoff.
- Aug 18, 2026Wahab and Hernandez faced off in the special election runoff, with Wahab projected the winner.
- Aug 20, 2026Decision Desk HQ and AP project Aisha Wahab wins the special election, making her the first Afghan American elected to Congress.
Who’s saying what
- Progressive
- Wahab's victory is a win for progressives, as she was backed by Our Revolution and labor unions.
- AIPAC
- AIPAC's super PAC spent heavily to support Hernandez, but Wahab's win marks a major defeat for the group.
Still unverified
The sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell are unproven and denied by him.