Progressive Aisha Wahab has been elected to Congress in a special election in California. She will fill the seat formerly held by Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April following sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied.
Wahab, who is the first Muslim woman and Afghan American elected to the California legislature, maintained a significant lead over her main opponent, Melissa Hernandez, throughout the race. Hernandez's campaign received financial backing from Super PACs linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac).
Following her victory, several congressional Democrats offered their congratulations. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X that House Democrats look forward to welcoming her to the 119th Congress. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also expressed eagerness to collaborate with Wahab on issues such as Medicare and opposing ICE's actions.