California state Sen. Aisha Wahab was projected on Thursday to win a special election for a vacant US House seat, defeating fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez, according to multiple US media outlets.
Democrat Aisha Wahab projected to win California special House election over Hernandez
California state Sen. Aisha Wahab was projected on Thursday to win a special election for a vacant US House seat, defeating fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez, according to multiple US media outlets.
The seat became vacant after Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied. The district, described as solidly Democratic, is located near San Francisco and San Jose.
Once sworn in, Wahab, an Afghan American, will give Democrats 213 seats in the House, while Republicans hold 218.
Hernandez is an official with the San Francisco Bay Area mass transit system. The race drew millions of dollars in outside spending, including from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group whose super PAC had spent nearly $2.5 million since early August to boost Hernandez, according to the Washington Post and other media reports.
The lobbying group has become a focus of attention in some Democratic primary contests this year as the Israel-Hamas War has deepened intra-party tensions.
Wahab and Hernandez will face each other again in November, with the winner holding the congressional seat for a full two-year term.
- The source does not state the vote margin or percentage totals for either candidate.
- The source does not identify which media outlets projected Wahab as the winner.
- The source does not state the total outside spending figure beyond the AIPAC super PAC amount, nor does it identify other outside spenders.
- The source does not include any statement from Wahab or Hernandez in response to the projected result.
- The source does not describe the nature of the allegations against Swalwell beyond characterizing them as sexual misconduct allegations that he denied.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post