State Sen. Aisha Wahab holds a narrow lead against her opponent, Melissa Hernandez, Board President of the Bay Area Rapid Transit, in a special election race to fill California’s 14th Congressional District's vacant seat, left empty by former Congressman Eric Swalwell.
As of Wednesday morning, early election results show Wahab holds about 51% of the vote, compared to Hernandez's about 49%, maintaining her lead by about 1,300 votes. In total, Wahab has received 33,399 votes, compared to Hernandez's 32,043 votes, as of 10 a.m. on Aug. 19.
The race has not been called by any major news outlet, as the Associated Press and NBC News report that the Alameda County Registrar of Voters has counted about 62% of the votes as of Aug. 19. The district represents
several cities in Alameda County, including Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore, and Union City.
Wahab's narrow lead comes as a surprise to many who have been following the special election process, as in June's primary election Wahab had earned a firm lead among primary voters, receiving 52,961 votes, or about 42.8% of the vote, according to the official election results from the California Secretary of State's Office.
In that same election, Hernandez only received 20,731 votes, or about 16.8% of primary voters' support.
Since June's election, Super PACs associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have funneled more than $5 million into the East Bay race on ads supporting Hernandez, according to Politico.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the most influential pro-Israel group, has received noticeable attention this election cycle, as it suffered a tough loss in a key Senate Democratic primary election in Michigan
The winner of this special election will serve the remainder of Swalwell's term as the region's representative.
Swalwell was serving his second term as U.S. representative for the 14th Congressional District before he resigned from Congressin April following several women's accusations of sexual assault, allegations he denied. The controversy ended his bid for California governor and more than a decade in Congress.
Regardless of who wins the August election, the pair are scheduled for a rematch in November's general election for the seat in the new 14th Congressional District, which was created under Proposition 50 and is set to begin in January 2027.
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aisha Wahab holds a narrow lead in California's special election
