Outside Groups Poured $4 Million Into California's 14th District Race
Outside groups spent $4 million in the special election, with AIPAC-aligned groups spending $1.2 million.
Event / Politics
California 14th District Special Election
Aisha Wahab won the special election for California's 14th Congressional District, becoming the first Afghan-American elected to the U.S. Congress. She defeated Democrat Melissa Hernandez 53.1% to 46.9% in August, succeeding Eric Swalwell who resigned following sexual assault allegations. Both candidates will face off again in the November general election for the full term.
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2026-08-21 to 2026-11-10 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Aug, 13:22 UTC
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What happened
Outside groups spent over $4 million on California's 14th District special election
Outside groups spent more than $4 million on the special election for California's 14th Congressional District since the beginning of the race, with approximately $3.7 million spent supporting Melissa Hernandez's campaign.
Swalwell suspended gubernatorial campaign before resigning from Congress
Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor before resigning from Congress. The gubernatorial campaign suspension and congressional resignation occurred amid sexual assault allegations against him.
Aisha Wahab wins special election for California's 14th Congressional District
Aisha Wahab won a special election to serve out the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell's term in California's 14th Congressional District. With 95 percent of votes counted, Wahab received 53.1 percent of the vote compared to 46.9 percent for her opponent Melissa Hernandez. The special election was held on Tuesday and called by the Associated Press on Thursday.
AIPAC-aligned super PAC spent $1.2 million on special election ads
A super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) called United Democracy Project spent $1.2 million in August on advertisements supporting Melissa Hernandez and opposing Aisha Wahab in the special election for California's 14th Congressional District.
Wahab and Hernandez will face off again in November general election
Aisha Wahab and Melissa Hernandez will compete again in the November general election for California's 14th Congressional District to determine who serves the full two-year term beginning in January 2027. The redrawn district will include approximately 26,000 more voters than the special election district.
Aisha Wahab becomes first Afghan-American elected to U.S. Congress
Aisha Wahab made history as the first Afghan-American elected to the U.S. Congress by winning the special election for California's 14th Congressional District. Wahab previously became the first Afghan-American elected official in the United States in 2018 when she won a seat on the Hayward City Council.
Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress in April
Former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) resigned from Congress in April following multiple allegations of sexual assault, which he denied. His resignation left the California 14th Congressional District seat vacant and prompted the special election.
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2 alternative perspectives
Wahab Advances to November Rematch After Special Election Victory
Wahab won the special election and will face Hernandez again in November.