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Democrat Aisha Wahab has taken a narrow lead in the special runoff election for Congressional District 14, with an approximately 2.1-point edge over fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez, according to unofficial results on Tuesday night.
The victor is poised to complete a nearly five-month term lasting into January. The seat was vacated by former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned amid allegations of sexual assault and abuse.
As of 9:54 p.m. Tuesday evening, Wahab had 51.04% (33,399 votes) to Hernandez’s 48.96% (32,043 votes), according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters’ Office. The preliminary tally accounts for vote-by-mail ballots received early and 2,859 votes via same-day turnout.
On Wednesday morning, Wahab expressed confidence in her future win.
“We expect our lead to grow as more ballots are counted,” Wahab said in a message to the Pleasanton Weekly. “Nearly $10 million in outside money and relentless smears made this race close, but so far, our grassroots campaign is beating the biggest spending operation of any House race in the country. CA-14 is proving it can’t be bought.”
Just hundreds of votes behind, Hernandez on Tuesday night said she is not ready to concede the election.
“Tonight is too close to call. Thousands of ballots have not been counted yet, including every ballot dropped in a box today. Every vote needs to be counted,” Hernandez said in a statement. “8 weeks ago people told us this race would not be close. In the late summer heat, our volunteers knocked doors and dialed phones to make this a competitive race.”
Updates to the election results are scheduled for this Friday (Aug. 21) and twice next week with the final numbers dropping Friday (Aug. 28).
Leading up to the special runoff, campaigning intensified between State Sen. Wahab (D-Fremont) and Hernandez, current BART board president and health care director for Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 1 as well as a former mayor of Dublin.
The winner will represent District 14 with its pre-Proposition 50 boundaries. The district includes Livermore, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Hayward, Union City and Fairview and parts of Dublin, Fremont, San Lorenzo, San Leandro and Mountain House.
The duo will face off again in the November general election in competition for a full term representing Congressional District 14. Under shifted boundaries, the district includes the southern Tri-Valley and areas west such as Fremont and Hayward.
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