Melissa Hernandez advances in 14th District special election to face Sen. Wahab
.JPG "The sun shines on the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C.")
Democrat Melissa Hernandez, the former mayor of Dublin, has advanced in the special election race to finish former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term in Congress. She will face Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab for the temporary seat in an August runoff.
The Associated Press called the race for Hernandez on Thursday afternoon after she had captured roughly 16.8% of the vote. Wahab had advanced earlier and is in the lead with 42.8% of the vote. Rakhi Israni Singh is third at about 12.9%. Roughly 95% of the votes have been counted.
The runoff is scheduled Aug. 18, and will determine who finishes Swalwell’s term for California’s 14th Congressional District, which covers parts of Fremont, Hayward and Livermore. Swalwell resigned in April following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that he has denied.
Wahab, D-Hayward, and Hernandez will also battle in the November general election for who represents the 14th District beyond January. In this month’s primary election, Wahab claimed 38.3% of the vote to Hernandez’s 17.2%.
Hernandez served as the mayor of Dublin and was a board director for Bay Area Rapid Transit. She currently is the healthcare services director for the Alameda County supervisor, according to her campaign website. She lives in Dublin with her family.
Wahab represents Senate District 10, which spans parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties. She lives in Hayward with her family and previously served on the Hayward City Council. Her priorities include strengthening consumer protections and expanding services and protections for families, including paid family leave and universal childcare, according to her campaign website.
