State Sen. Aisha Wahab leads race for Swalwell's seat
California State Senator Aisha Wahab has jumped out to an early lead in the highly anticipated race to replace former Congressman Eric Swalwell in California's 14th Congressional District.
With approximately 40% of the votes counted in Alameda County, Wahab is currently pacing the field with 36% of the vote. Former Dublin Mayor and current BART Director Melissa Hernandez is sitting in a distant second place with 16%, News.Az reports, citing ABC 7.
The high-stakes congressional race comes on the heels of a sudden political vacuum left by Swalwell, who represented the East Bay district for over a decade. Swalwell had initially bypassed a reelection bid to focus on a campaign for California governor. However, his political ambitions collapsed in April after multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. While Swalwell fiercely denied the claims, the escalating controversy ultimately forced him to suspend his gubernatorial bid and resign from Congress entirely.
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Because of the abrupt vacancy, Alameda County voters face a packed political calendar. Residents will head back to the ballot box on June 16 for a special primary election specifically designated to fill the remainder of Swalwell's current term.
Depending on the final vote tallies from this week's primary, the race may not be settled just yet. If no single candidate secures an outright majority, the top two vote-getters will head to a decisive runoff election scheduled for August 18.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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