Aisha Wahab wins California House special election seat
What's next: Wahab and Melissa Hernandez will face each other again in November for a full two-year term.
California state Sen. Aisha Wahab won a special election for a vacant U.S. House seat in the Bay Area, defeating Bay Area Rapid Transit official Melissa Hernandez, according to media projections. Once sworn in, Wahab, an Afghan American, will take the seat left open when Democrat Eric Swalwell resigned in April after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied. The solidly Democratic district sits near San Francisco and San Jose. The race drew millions in outside spending, including nearly $2.5 million since early August from a super PAC tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to support Hernandez. Wahab's win will move Democrats to 213 seats in the House, with Republicans holding 218.