Wahab defeats Hernandez for fourth time this year, wins full term in Congress

Kyle Martin, The Mercury News on Nov 7, 2026

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — Incumbent Rep. Aisha Wahab secured a full two-year term in Congress, defeating BART Board President Melissa Hernandez for the fourth time this year in California’s 14th Congressional District.

Wahab received about 58% of the vote compared with Hernandez’s 42%, a difference of more than 24,000 votes, according to the latest returns released Friday by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

The Associated Press called the race in Wahab’s favor Friday evening.

The registrar estimated Thursday that 265,849 ballots remained unprocessed across Alameda County. Nearly 118,000 additional ballots were included in Friday’s results update, leaving the number still awaiting processing unclear. The county’s next results update is scheduled for Monday.

The victory caps an extraordinary election year in which Wahab and Hernandez faced each other four times, beginning with two primaries in June, followed by an August special election and Tuesday’s general election.

Neither Hernandez nor her campaign immediately returned a request for comment Friday.

Speaking to supporters Tuesday night at the Eden Area United Democratic Campaign headquarters in Hayward, Wahab thanked voters for looking past the divisiveness and outside spending that shaped the campaign.

“They saw through the millions of dollars pouring into this district,” Wahab said. “This district matters more than anything.”

A former East Bay state senator and Hayward councilmember, Wahab was sworn in as the country’s first Afghan American elected to Congress in September after winning the special election to serve the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term.

Swalwell resigned from Congress and dropped a gubernatorial campaign earlier this year amid sexual assault allegations, which he has denied.

Congressional District 14 covers parts of South Alameda County and the Tri-Valley, including Fremont, Hayward, Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore.

Throughout her campaign, Wahab was outraised and outspent by Hernandez, who received millions in financial support from organizations and donors tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The money tied to the pro-Israel lobbying group helped fund ads supporting Hernandez and attacking Wahab, particularly leading up to the Aug. 18 special election.

But after Wahab won that election, records show AIPAC-linked groups largely stopped spending to support Hernandez ahead of the November contest.

Hernandez also lost the endorsement of a prominent Dublin councilmember following comments she made during an October debate with Wahab.

During her closing statement, Hernandez appeared to accuse Wahab of having “communications with the Taliban.”

Wahab, who is Muslim, called the comments a “racist dog-whistle” and “anti-Muslim.”

The comments also prompted Alameda County Democratic Central Committee officials to consider censuring Hernandez, a party official previously confirmed to Bay Area News Group.