Voters in southern Alameda County are being asked to choose between the same two Democrats for the second time in three months. State Sen. Aisha Wahab and BART board president Melissa Hernandez, a former Dublin mayor, are the two names on the Nov. 3 ballot for the 14th Congressional District, according to the Secretary of State's certified candidate list. Wahab is listed as State Senator; Hernandez as Healthcare Services Director.

What happened in August

Gov. Gavin Newsom called a special election after Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress in the wake of sexual assault allegations, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The winner serves the rest of Swalwell's term, which runs through January. The Secretary of State's official canvass shows Wahab won that special general with 51,734 votes, or 53.1%, to Hernandez's 45,700, or 46.9%. Turnout was low: 97,434 of 431,872 registered voters cast ballots, or 22.56%, and almost 97% of them voted by mail.

Why November is a separate contest

The August win does not carry over. November decides who holds the seat for a full two-year term, and it is being fought on slightly different lines. The Chronicle reported that the district's boundaries changed because of Proposition 50, the 2025 redistricting measure, and the new map takes in more of Dublin, where Hernandez served as mayor. November turnout is also expected to be far higher than August's.

The debate moment

At a debate last week, Hernandez ran over time on her closing statement while saying she was honest about "not being — of having communications with the Taliban like my — " before the moderator cut her off, according to the Chronicle. Wahab, who is Afghan American, called it "a racist dog whistle" in a video. Hernandez later said on social media that she meant to criticize Wahab's past comment that the U.S. should pursue diplomatic relations with Afghanistan while pressing the Taliban on human rights. Alameda County Democratic Party chair Igor Tregub called the remark "repugnant and reprehensible."

Money and endorsements

In the special election, Hernandez benefited from nearly $5 million in outside spending from super PACs tied to AIPAC, which the Chronicle reports has since stopped spending for her. Wahab has picked up endorsements from Newsom and U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla. Rep. Sam Liccardo, who backed Hernandez in the special, has not endorsed for November. After the debate, Dublin Council Member Kashef Qaadri and Union City Mayor Gary Singh switched their support to Wahab; Singh said his decision had nothing to do with the debate. Hernandez still has endorsements from several local police and firefighter unions.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.