State Sen. Aisha Wahab, a Democrat from Hayward, is currently ahead in the special election to represent California’s 14th Congressional District. As of 9:30 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, Wahab had received 32,149 votes, accounting for 51.35% of the total, while her opponent, former Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez, also a Democrat and current Bay Area Rapid Transit board member, had 30,457 votes, or 48.65%.

The vote totals come from the Official Election Site of Alameda County, which encompasses the entire district in the San Francisco Bay Area. The winner of this Tuesday election will serve the remainder of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term, which ends on Jan. 3, 2027, after Swalwell resigned in April amid sexual‑misconduct allegations and withdrew from the California governor’s race.

Background and Future Contest

Wahab and Hernandez previously faced each other in two June primaries, but neither secured a majority, prompting the need for a special election. Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, the two candidates will meet again in the November 3 general election for the full term beginning Jan. 3, 2027.

Campaign Issues and Accusations

Affordability has emerged as a top concern for voters in the district. The Hernandez campaign recently accused Wahab of “laundering corporate money into their campaign for Congress.” Wahab’s team dismissed the claim as a political attack, noting that Hernandez previously lost two primary contests to Wahab by more than 20 percentage points, according to data from the California Secretary of State.

Both campaigns have not responded to requests for comment from The Center Square.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.