Latest & Breaking News on Fox News
· collected 2026-08-19 · by Elaine Mallon
Two women, progressive state Sen. Aisha Wahab and moderate Democrat Melissa Hernandez, are competing in a special election to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned amid sexual assault allegations. The primary race on Tuesday will determine who will serve out the remainder of the term, but the two candidates will also face each other again in November as part of California's open-primary system. Wahab has received the backing of Our Revolution and has run a progressive campaign platform centered on immigration and energy issues, while Hernandez has taken a moderate approach to key issues including immigration. The contest reflects a larger trend in Democratic primary races, where far-left candidates are often competing against establishment-backed Democrats.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Aisha Wahab, a progressive state senator from California, has won the special election to fill the seat left vacant by former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April amid allegations of sexual assault. Wahl beat out Melissa Hernandez, a fellow Democrat and president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board, with 53% of the vote compared to Hernandez's 47%. The special election was held on Tuesday, and Wahab will serve out the remaining months of Swalwell's term until January 2027. Wahl has been critical of Israel's actions in Gaza, calling them "genocide", which may have contributed to the heavy spending by outside groups, including a pro-Israel super PAC that spent $2.5 million against her. Wahab's victory is seen as a significant win for progressive Democrats and could signal a shift in the party's direction.
Written for “California Congressional Election” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.55 for article 1320 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-21
The special election to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., remained undecided in the early Wednesday morning hours.
asserted
election → fill → hours
The battle to succeed Swalwell comes after he resigned in April amid sexual assault allegations from at least five women.
asserted
he → succeed → women
Prior to the allegations, Swalwell was also making a bid for California's gubernatorial race, but he dropped that bid as well.
asserted
he → make → bid
Vying for Swalwell's seat are two women: progressive state Sen. Aisha Wahab and moderate Democrat and Bay Area Rapid Transit Board (BART) President Melissa Hernandez.
asserted
women → vie → seat
Tuesday's primary race will determine who will immediately fill Swalwell's seat for the remainder of the term.
asserted
who → determine → term
However, it is also serving as the primary race for the midterms, meaning that Wahab and Hernandez will face each other again in November.
asserted
Wahab → serve → November
Wahab and Hernandez both emerged as the "top-two" vote getters in the special election's jungle primary race held on June 16 for California's 14th Congressional District.
asserted
Wahab → emerge → District
Under California law, elections have open primaries, meaning whoever the top vote getters are, regardless of their party affiliation, will move on to the general election.
asserted
are → have → election
The race between Hernandez and Wahab mirrors a larger trend reflected across Democratic primary races, as far-left progressive candidates, often backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, are seeking to defeat establishment-backed Democratic candidates.
asserted
candidates → mirror → candidates
Wahab, who has served in the state Senate since 2022, is running on a campaign platform centered on cracking down on ICE, having co-authored legislation making it easier for citizens to sue agents, lowering prescription drug prices and pushing for investments in green and renewable energy.
asserted
citizens → serve → energy
She has received the backing of Our Revolution, a group that was founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Attorney General Rob Bonta, and fellow progressives Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar.
asserted
that → receive → Sanders
Hernandez, on the other hand, has taken a moderate approach on key issues such as immigration.
asserted
Hernandez → take → immigration
Hernandez, who is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, acknowledged that the immigration system is "broken" but that she "supports smart border security and regional cooperation."
asserted
she → acknowledge → security
She has received the endorsement of close to a dozen Congressional members.
asserted
She → receive → members
But despite Wahab's critical stance of ICE, she found herself in the hot seat when her father took to Facebook calling for his daughter's supporters to "call ICE" on Hernandez.
asserted
supporters → find → Hernandez
The mishap led to Wahab's campaign to issue an apology on its website.
asserted
mishap → lead → website
