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State Sen. Aisha Wahab is 1st Afghan American woman elected to office in the nation
Women have a growing role in Bay Area politics. State Sen. Aisha Wahab, who represents the Bay Area's District 10, was the 1st Afghan-American woman to be elected to public office in the U.S. in 2018. We learn more about Wahab's personal journey and how women are impacting politics.
DUBLIN, Calif. - State Sen. Aisha Wahab won over voters in California’s 14th Congressional District on Thursday in a special election to serve the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s House term, which ends in January.
Wahab defeats Hernandez
What we know:
Wahab edged BART Board President Melissa Hernandez by about 6,000 votes. The two Democrats were the finalists in the June 16 special primary, advancing them to the special election.
Wahab and Hernandez also will compete in the fall in a slightly redrawn district that covers parts of Alameda County and the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay for a full term beginning in January 2027.
In a statement, Hernandez acknowledged the election results and looked ahead to the November general election.
"The election for CA-14 in November will be in the new district lines, adding 26,000 Dublin voters who didn't have the chance to vote for me in August," she said, in part. "We’re looking forward to winning this on November 3rd with a more favorable district and a much larger electorate."
She reiterated the narrowing vote gap between her and Wahab in Tuesday's election, compared to the June primary.
"In just 63 days, we closed a gap from 26,000 votes to 6,000 votes by sharing our message of lowering housing costs, creating jobs, and supporting strong public safety," she said.
Swalwell’s resignation
Dig deeper:
Swalwell, a Democrat who was running for California governor, ended his campaign and resigned from Congress in April after he was accused of sexual assault and harassment. He has denied the allegations.
Wahab’s political career
Wahab has championed housing affordability and access. In 2023, she authored a bill to ban caste-based discrimination that garnered national attention.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, saying such discrimination is already prohibited under existing civil rights protections.
Wahab became the first Afghan American elected to public office in the U.S. when she won a seat on the Hayward City Council in 2018. She will be the first Afghan American to serve in Congress.
The Source: This story was written based on information from the Associated Press' special election reporting system.