The latest financial disclosures in the race to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell show one candidate pulling far ahead of another financially – with significant backing by outside donors and those tied to a pro-Israel group.

Of the direct donations given to BART Board President Melissa Hernandez between July 1 and July 29, less than 1% came from donors living in the district, according to Federal Elections Commission records filed this month.

Finance records for July from Hernandez show she raised nearly $900,000 in direct donations to her campaign, with a majority of support from out-of-state donors and those not living within Congressional District 14, which encompasses parts of Alameda County, including the cities of Fremont, Hayward, Dublin and Livermore.

New disclosures filed with the FEC on Wednesday also revealed several wealthy independent groups have so far spent more than $5 million in support of Hernandez, including the United Democracy Project, a nonpartisan super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

To date, United Democracy Project has spent more than $2.4 million in favor of Hernandez and against her competitor, state Sen. Aisha Wahab. This most recently includes $152,000 spent in support of Hernandez and $803,370 against Wahab, according to records filed Wednesday. The group also spent $1.2 million on the race earlier this month, primarily in support of Hernandez.

The two candidates are set to face off in a special election runoff on Aug. 18 to fill the remainder of Swalwell’s term. They also will compete in another runoff election on Nov. 3 to fill the full term starting in January 2027.

In the June primaries, Wahab outperformed runner-up Hernandez. In the June 2 primary, Wahab received about 38% of the vote compared to Hernandez’s 17%. In the June 16 special election to temporarily fill Swalwell’s seat, Wahab secured 43% of the vote compared to Hernandez with nearly 17%.

Swalwell, who was previously endorsed and backed by AIPAC, resigned from office and abandoned a gubernatorial campaign amidst sexual misconduct accusations from multiple women earlier this year – allegations he’s denied.

By July 1, Hernandez had about $76,671 on hand. She reported raising a total of $896,935 from the beginning of the month through July 29. In that time, she also spent $796,970, ending with more than $176,100 on hand.

Several of Hernandez’s donors, many with direct ties to AIPAC, operate out of state – in places such as New York, Illinois and Florida. Money tied to out-of-state donors and pro-Israel groups supporting Hernandez accounted for well over half the money spent on the race since June.

Jone Dalezman, from Newton, Mass., has given Hernandez $6,000 throughout the campaign, including a total of $3,500 on July 6. She also has given $28,650 to AIPAC since 2021, including a $500 donation on June 30, according to FEC records.

Another donor, Robert Ezrapour of New York, donated $1,000 to Hernandez. He’s also donated regularly to conservatives in other parts of the country, such as Florida Republican and President Donald Trump ally Rep. Brian Mast, and Republican Nikki Haley’s failed 2024 presidential campaign. He donated $12,000 to AIPAC between 2022 and 2023.

Hernandez did not respond to a request for comment about the donations. She also did not respond to a previous request for comment on her financial backers and whether she had ties to AIPAC, which has been scrutinized recently in progressive circles for its support of Israel and the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas.

When asked why she did not respond, her campaign spokesman, Ajay Mohan, told Bay Area News Group on Tuesday that “Melissa Hernandez is a candidate for Congress, and as you can imagine, she is quite busy.”

In a statement, Mohan alleged Wahab had received prior donations to her previous state Senate campaign from corporations and other PACs amounting to about $360,000 through the last four years, calling the donations “hypocrisy.”

At a news conference Wednesday, Wahab rebuked Mohan’s statements.

“This district will always and forever belong to the people,” Wahab said. “There is not a single corporation that has put $1 million in an (independent expenditure) for me. There is not a single corporation that has put $500,000 in an IE for me.”

While Wahab secured the Democratic Party’s official endorsement prior to the June primaries, Hernandez has found recent support from some Democrats who are going against their party’s choice in the race.

San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren in June donated $2,000 to Hernandez’s campaign. Rep. Pete Aguilar, who currently represents San Bernardino’s 33rd Congressional District, has donated a combined $4,000. Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider, also a Democrat, donated $2,000 in June.

The New Democrat Coalition Action Fund – whose members are Democrats from around the country, including Rep. Sam Liccardo – donated a total of $3,000 to Hernandez’s campaign, including a $2,000 donation on June 7.

Manav Patel, a member of the East Bay Young Democrats, told Bay Area News Group on Wednesday that going against Wahab is “betraying their own party.” His organization also previously endorsed her.

“It just feels like those members of Congress are out of touch,” Patel said. “I think it’s time for them to wake up and realize you don’t have to follow the old ways of politics. There’s a new wave coming in.”

Wahab’s financial disclosures, filed Aug. 5, show she raised $56,467 between July 1 and July 29, with contributions primarily from donors in both her current district and the 14th district, as well as multiple financial contributions from labor-aligned organizations from out of state.

Wahab has nearly $147,000 cash on hand, after reporting spending a total of about $137,000 through the end of July.

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