USA

Ayesha Wahab Wins California Runoff, Becomes First Afghan-American Elected to Congress

21 August 2026 19:08 PM

NEWS DESK

Ayesha Wahab has won a special runoff election to fill the vacant seat in California’s 14th Congressional District, becoming the first Afghan-American elected to the US House of Representatives.

The result, announced late Thursday after 100 percent of ballots were counted, showed Wahab, a Democrat, securing 53.1 percent of the vote, while fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez received 46.9 percent.

The special election was held following the resignation of former US Representative Eric Swalwell, who stepped down.

Wahab previously made history as the first Muslim and first Afghan-American elected to the California State Senate. She ran her congressional campaign on a progressive Democratic platform and has expressed support for Palestinians.

Hernandez, meanwhile, campaigned on a pro-Israel platform and received substantial financial backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

According to Politico, around $4 million was spent on behalf of the two candidates since July, with approximately $3.7 million spent in support of Hernandez. Nearly $3 million of that amount came from AIPAC alone.

Speaking about her victory, Wahab said that despite millions of dollars flowing into the race from outside groups, along with misinformation and false narratives, voters in her district recognized the truth and supported her.

“I am incredibly proud of the people in my district,” she said.

Despite her defeat, Hernandez expressed confidence that she could win the seat in the November general election.

She pointed to the redrawn boundaries of the 14th Congressional District, which will add roughly 26,000 new voters. Hernandez said she hoped to regain support from voters in Dublin, where she previously served as mayor, and narrow the gap in the upcoming contest.

Wahab and Hernandez are expected to face each other again in the November 3 general election as part of the upcoming midterm election cycle.

Ayesha Wahab Afghan-American Congress