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Aisha Wahab wins special election to fill the seat of former Congressman Eric Swalwell in California's 14th District

California state Senator Aisha Wahab has won a special election to fill the seat of former United States Congressman Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April following reports of alleged sexual assault. Wahab, a progressive Democrat, defeated her rival Melissa Hernandez in a runoff that saw a significant influx of outside spending from pro-Israel lobbying groups. Despite the heavy spending from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which poured millions into ads supporting Hernandez, Wahab secured a victory by a narrow margin. Wahab, who will become the first Afghan American member of the US Congress, campaigned on issues such as housing affordability and childcare. While she has publicly stated that the war in Gaza constitutes a genocide, Hernandez offered a more moderate stance, acknowledging Israel's right to self-defense while noting the destruction in Gaza has gone too far. The two candidates will face off again in November for a full two-year term. Wahab's victory highlights the influence of pro-Israel lobbying in the Democratic primaries, even as anti-Israel sentiment grows within the party.

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