The Associated Press projects that state Sen. Aisha Wahab has won a special election to represent California’s 14th Congressional District. Wahab will serve the remaining months of a term previously held by former Rep. Eric Swalwell, which concludes in January 2027. New vote totals released by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters showed Wahab maintaining a lead over Melissa Hernandez, a director for Bay Area Rapid Transit, that was determined to be insurmountable despite remaining uncounted ballots.
The special election followed the April resignation of Swalwell, who left Congress amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Swalwell has denied those allegations. Prior to this election, Wahab served in the California state Senate representing the 10th District, an area encompassing several East Bay and Silicon Valley cities including Hayward, Fremont, and parts of San Jose.
The results of this special election determine representation only for the conclusion of the current term. Voters in Alameda County will return to the polls in November to select a representative for the next full two-year term. Both Wahab and Hernandez are scheduled to appear on the ballot for that general election.
The transition from state to federal office for Wahab changes the representation for her current constituents in the 10th State Senate District. While the scale of the total vote count was not reported, the outcome resolves a vacancy that began in April. Residents of the 14th District will experience two separate congressional elections within the same year to determine both immediate and long-term representation in Washington, D.C.
The next phase for these voters begins on Oct. 5, when early voting and vote-by-mail services open for the general election. The final decision for the subsequent full term will be made on Election Day, Nov. 3. This sequence of elections requires the candidates to maintain active campaigns through the autumn to secure a full two-year mandate following the expiration of the current partial term.