Democratic State Sen. Aisha Wahab advanced Tuesday to the special general election in California for the U.S. House seat vacated by Rep. Eric Swalwell after he resigned from Congress amid allegations of sexual assault.
Wahab, a state senator, goes on to the Aug. 18 special general election, which will determine who will fill the remainder of Swalwell's term through January. At that time, the winner of November's election for the state's 14th Congressional District will be sworn in.
Wahab is also competing in the November runoff to determine who will succeed Swalwell for a full two-year term.
Background on the Special Election
Voters in the San Francisco Bay Area congressional district formerly represented by Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell cast their ballots Tuesday to determine who will replace him after he resigned from Congress amid allegations of sexual assault.
Polls closed at night for the special primary in the 14th Congressional District, which includes East Bay cities such as Fremont, Hayward and Livermore. It heavily favors Democrats, and Swalwell typically beat Republican challengers by wide vote margins.
If any candidate receives over 50% of the vote, they will win outright and serve out the remainder of Swalwell's term through January. If not, the top two from the field of Democratic and Republican candidates will move on to an Aug. 18 runoff.
Candidates and Party Dynamics
Among the 11 names on the ballot were Democrats Aisha Wahab, a state senator who focused her campaign message on reducing housing costs, and Melissa Hernandez, a Bay Area Rapid Transit director and former mayor of the East Bay city of Dublin.
The two represent different wings of the party that have been battling in numerous states this primary season. Wahab, a progressive, has focused on combating high costs by expanding the social safety net and taking aim at "corporate profiteering," while Hernandez, considered a moderate, pushed a platform of job growth and supporting small businesses.
Republicans in the race included Wendy Huang, a real estate investor, and Dena Maldonado, who runs a small flower business.
Regular Primary and Future Contests
Separate from the special election, a regular primary was held June 2 for a full term to the seat beginning in January, with many of the same candidates who are on Tuesday's ballot. Wahab and Hernandez were the top two vote-getters June 2 and advanced to the general election in November.
If one of them comes out on top in the special election, their hope is that serving in the office for a few months this summer and fall could provide a boost in visibility and some job experience they can tout as they campaign for the full term.
Another Democrat who ran in the earlier primary but who failed to crack the top two, attorney and businessperson Rakhi Israni Singh, was also on Tuesday's ballot.
Swalwell's Resignation
Swalwell held the seat for seven terms before resigning in April — and also dropping out of this year's governor's race — after the San Francisco Chronicle reported allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him. CNN later reported that other women accused him of sending inappropriate messages and nude photos.
Swalwell has repeatedly denied the accusations, but he said it would be unfair to his constituents to remain in Congress.
