Democrats Aisha Wahab and Melissa Hernandez have progressed to both of the runoff elections this year for Congressional District 14, as they vie to replace disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell.
The special general election on Aug. 18 will determine the representative of a months-long term into January 2027 vacated when Swalwell resigned from office amid sex abuse allegations, while the general election on Nov. 3 will determine the congresswoman for the subsequent full term in Washington, D.C.
Both candidates earned their spot in the runoffs by placing top two in the separate primaries held two weeks apart in June. State Sen. Wahab (D-Fremont) finished first in both races with over double the votes of Hernandez, a former Dublin mayor and current president of the BART Board of Directors and health care director for Alameda County Supervisorial District 1.Â
In the regular primary election June 2 with nine candidates on the ballot, Wahab tallied 38.28% (59,238 votes) with Hernandez at 17.18% (26,579 votes), as certified by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters’ Office.
Then in the 11-candidate special primary election on June 16, Wahab garnered 42.82% (52,961 votes), followed by Hernandez at 16.76% (20,731 votes) in second place. With Wahab could have won the short-term seat outright with more than 50% of the vote.
As the candidates gear up for the first of two runoffs, so too have their campaigns.
“Washington is broken, and Sacramento politics is not how we are going to make real change for our neighbors in this district,” Hernandez said in a statement Monday announcing her endorsements.
“Real change doesn’t come from the next ambitious politician moving up the ladder, it comes from people who are rooted in the community they serve,” Hernandez added.
Hernandez gestured to herself as being rooted in the community, spending 30 years delivering for “real people”, running the city of Dublin, serving on the BART Board and raising her children.
In an email interview with the Pleasanton Weekly, Wahab said, “I bring the experience, resilience, and urgency this moment demands — and a passion to fight for what is right, even when it is difficult.”Â
“The attacks may already be starting, but I will stay focused on delivering for our families, our workers, and everyone who deserves a government that fights for them,” she added.
Ahead of the special general election, Hernandez also announced in a statement a “wave” of endorsements in her bid for Congress.
Hernandez has received the endorsement of local leaders including Alameda County Supervisor Board President David Haubert, Dublin Mayor Sherry Hu, Livermore Mayor John Marchand, Pleasanton Mayor Jack Balch and Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich. Additional endorsements have come from groups such as the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of Alameda County and the Livermore Police Officers Association.
“I am honored by these endorsements as we march forward to August,” Hernandez said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Wahab has received endorsements from groups and leaders including the California Democratic Party, Service Employees International Union, Indivisible Tri-Valley, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato-Bas, Livermore City councilmembers Evan Branning and Steven Dunbar, Livermore Vice Mayor Kristie Wang, Pleasanton Unified School District Trustee Charlie Jones and California State Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-20), according to her campaign website.
Since securing their spots in the general election, both candidates have also expressed gratitude to supporters.
“I want to thank the voters, my campaign volunteers, and team,” Hernandez said in a statement. “This has been a truly grassroots effort, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
“I’m deeply grateful to the voters who gave us an overwhelming majority and sent us forward,” Wahab said. “This movement continues to grow because it is built on trust, hard work, and a record of showing up for our communities.”
The winner of the special general election in August is poised to represent residents within the pre-Proposition 50 boundaries. The areas include Livermore, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Hayward, Union City and Fairview and parts of Dublin, Fremont, San Lorenzo, San Leandro and Mountain House.
The regular general election winner is set to represent the southern Tri-Valley and areas west such as Fremont and Hayward under new District 14 boundaries post-Prop 50.
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