Democratic state Senator Aisha Wahab has secured victory in the special election for California’s 14th District. This win allows her to complete the remainder of former Representative Eric Swalwell’s term. Swalwell stepped down from his congressional post in April amid sexual assault allegations, which he has denied.
Wahab faced Melissa Hernandez, another Democrat who is on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors. The special election became necessary as neither candidate gained a majority during the June 16 primary, leading to a direct contest between the two.
In the initial primary, Wahab managed to capture 43% of the votes, while Hernandez received 17%. The final election saw Wahab leading narrowly with 53% compared to Hernandez’s 47%, with 95% of the votes counted.
During the campaign, a super PAC associated with the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) heavily invested in the race. They spent approximately $2.5 million opposing Wahab. Wahab criticized these efforts, describing them as “AIPAC-linked dark-money PACs” aiming to undermine her campaign. She has previously stated her belief that Israel’s actions in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza amount to genocide.
Hernandez was notable for not affirmatively stating that Israel was committing genocide when questioned at a forum in April, setting her apart from other candidates.
This election reflects a broader pattern where pro-Israel groups have actively participated in numerous races across the country. These efforts have seen mixed results. Some candidates supported by significant AIPAC-linked funding have won important contests in states such as Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland. However, there have also been notable shortcomings. An example includes the race in Michigan, where United Democracy Project, an AIPAC-linked super PAC, spent over $30 million to support Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens. Despite this massive investment, Stevens lost her Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official.
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