Melissa Hernandez Advances In Race To Fill Swalwell's Seat

DUBLIN, CA — Former Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez advanced Thursday to the special general election to fill Eric Swalwell’s congressional seat. Hernandez will face State Senator Aisha Wahab of Hayward, another Democrat, in a special election Aug. 18 to fill the seat until January.

Hernandez is also facing Wahab in the November runoff to represent the 14th congressional district for a full two-year term. The district includes much of southern Alameda County, including Hayward, Union City, Fremont, Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore, and was represented by Eric Swalwell since 2013. Swalwell resigned in April following sexual assault allegations, and Gov. Newsom called a special election to replace him until January.

Hernandez was elected as mayor of Dublin in 2020, and served until 2024, when she was appointed to the BART Board of Directors representing District 5. She was named vice president of the board in 2025, and president in 2026.

In the special election runoff, Wahab received 42.4% of the vote, or 45,380 votes. Hernandez received 16.7%, or 17,848 votes, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. Because no candidate received a majority of the vote, Wahab and Hernandez advanced to the Aug. 18 runoff.

“I connect to voters, and that’s one thing that is definitely different than my opponent,” Hernandez said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We’re going to fight the good fight.”

Wahab, who lives in Hayward and represents CA-10, told ABC-7 she is not running to “replace” Swalwell but to ensure voters have a representative who is “not necessarily working for any other reason but to make their lives better.”

11 total candidates, including four other Democrats and four Republicans, ran in the special election.

SEE ALSO:

• Wahab Advances In Special Election To Replace Swalwell's Seat
• Special Election Set To Fill Seat Swalwell Vacated Amid Sexual Assault Scandal
• Swalwell Resigns From Congress Amid Sexual Assault Allegations