State Sen. Aisha Wahab won the special election Thursday to complete former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term, overcoming more than $5 million in outside spending favoring her opponent and becoming the first Afghan American elected to Congress.
Wahab widened her lead over BART Board President Melissa Hernandez to 53% to 47% in the latest returns. Wahab had 51,610 votes to Hernandez’s 45,598, an insurmountable margin with just 255 ballots left to cure.
Wahab will complete Swalwell’s term, which expires in January, before facing Hernandez again Nov. 3 for a full two-year term.
“This victory belongs to the voters who made clear that our district cannot be bought,” Wahab said. “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. From foster care to Congress, this journey shows the possibility of the American Dream.”
The race tightened dramatically after outside political groups poured millions of dollars into advertising ahead of Tuesday’s runoff. Wahab had defeated Hernandez by roughly 26 percentage points in the June special primary, compared with her 6-point victory Tuesday.
Outside groups have spent more than $5 million to support Hernandez or oppose Wahab. That includes more than $2.4 million from United Democracy Project, the super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, according to financial disclosures.
By comparison, outside groups supporting Wahab, primarily labor-aligned organizations and the Alameda County Democratic Party, spent more than $890,000 during the race.
Following her defeat, Hernandez emphasized how sharply she narrowed Wahab’s earlier advantage and looked ahead to their November rematch.
“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,” Hernandez said Thursday afternoon.
“We’re looking forward to winning this on November 3rd with a more favorable district and a much larger electorate,” she added. “Game on!”
Congressional District 14 spans southern Alameda County and the Tri-Valley, including parts of Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Dublin and Pleasanton.
Swalwell resigned from Congress and ended his gubernatorial campaign earlier this year after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. He has denied the allegations.
Thursday’s result settled the third of four contests for the seat this year. Wahab and Hernandez advanced from separate crowded fields in two June primaries and will meet once more in November.
Wahab received about 43% of the vote in the June 16 special primary, compared with Hernandez’s 17%. In the June 2 primary for the full term beginning next year, Wahab received about 38% to Hernandez’s 17%.
Wahab is a former Hayward councilwoman. Hernandez is a former Dublin mayor.