By CalNews360 Staff
August 20, 2026
California’s closely watched special election to fill the U.S. House seat previously held by Eric Swalwell remains too close to call, with state Sen. Aisha Wahab holding a narrow lead over BART Board President Melissa Hernandez as election officials continue counting ballots.
According to early results reported after Tuesday’s election, Wahab had 51.04% of the vote compared with 48.96% for Hernandez, with a significant number of ballots still outstanding.
The election is taking place in California’s 14th Congressional District, which covers parts of the East Bay.
Why this election matters
The special election was held to fill the remainder of the term left vacant after Swalwell resigned from Congress earlier this year.
Because both finalists are Democrats, the district is expected to remain in Democratic hands regardless of the final result. But the race has attracted unusual attention because of the narrow margin and significant outside spending.
The winner will serve the remainder of the current congressional term.
A race that became much closer than expected
Wahab entered the election with a significant advantage.
She had previously defeated Hernandez by wide margins in the earlier special-election contests, making her the early favorite.
But the race tightened considerably during the final weeks of the campaign.
Outside groups spent millions of dollars attempting to influence the outcome, including spending targeting Wahab. The Associated Press reported that Hernandez received substantial support from outside groups during the campaign.
The result was a much closer contest than many observers had expected.
Who are the candidates?
Aisha Wahab is a California state senator representing the East Bay and has positioned herself as the more progressive candidate.
Melissa Hernandez is president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board and a former mayor of Dublin. She has campaigned as a more moderate Democrat, emphasizing issues including public safety and local concerns.
Both candidates are expected to face each other again later this year.
Why November is already important
Tuesday’s special election only determines who will finish the current congressional term.
The two candidates are also scheduled to compete again in November for a full congressional term beginning in January 2027.
That means Tuesday’s result will not necessarily end the political contest.
Instead, it could provide an early indication of how voters in the district are responding to the two candidates.
When will we know the winner?
The current margin is small enough that additional ballots could change the outcome.
California election officials routinely continue counting ballots after Election Day, particularly mail ballots and other eligible votes that arrive within the state’s counting deadlines.
For that reason, the current percentages should not be treated as a final result.
The Associated Press has also indicated that it will call the race only when it determines that the remaining ballots cannot change the outcome.
What California voters should watch next
The most important development will be the release of additional vote totals from Alameda County and other jurisdictions within the district.
Because the race is separated by only a small number of votes, every additional batch of counted ballots could matter.
The outcome will determine who temporarily represents the district in Congress, while the November rematch will determine who competes for the full term beginning next year.
The bottom line
California’s 14th Congressional District special election remains unsettled as votes continue to be counted.
Aisha Wahab currently holds a narrow advantage over Melissa Hernandez, but the margin is not large enough to declare a winner.
For now, California voters will have to wait for election officials to finish counting the remaining ballots.
Source: Associated Press election coverage and California election information.
Image note: The image used with this article is AI-generated for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an actual person, event, vote count, or polling location.