Aisha Wahab wins California House special election in defiance of AIPAC money flood

Published August 20, 2026 7:38pm ET



Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab won the special election for former Rep. Eric Swalwell‘s seat in California‘s 14th Congressional District, after the American Israel Public Affairs Committee dumped $4.4 million into the race.

Wahab earned 53.1% of the vote by Thursday evening, according to the Associated Press, after winning the primary by 26 points. Her opponent, AIPAC-backed Democratic mayor Melissa Hernandez, won 46.9% of the vote. The progressive state senator will only serve in the House of Representatives until January with this election victory. Wahab and Hernandez will face off again in the November election for a full two-year term.

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