Aisha Wahab wins California special election for former Eric Swalwell seat

State Senator Aisha Wahab was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election held on Tuesday to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April following sexual-misconduct allegations he denies. Wahab, who received endorsements from the state Democratic Party, labor unions, local officials and the state attorney general, led the primary by more than 20 points over John Hernandez, the president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit board.

With 92% of precincts reporting, Wahab’s margin narrowed to just over six points, reflecting a tighter contest than many analysts expected. Hernandez’s campaign benefited from significant spending by super-PACs linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which together poured roughly $6 million into advertising supporting him and attacking Wahab.

Wahab, the first Muslim woman and Afghan-American elected to the California legislature, said the influx of ads mischaracterized her record and described the outside spending as an attempt to influence the outcome. The race also drew attention after Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, chair of California’s Democratic delegation, endorsed Hernandez, criticizing Wahab for not supporting a caretaker candidate to fill the seat quickly.