The wave of progressive victories that began with Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York in November 2025 continues in the United States: Democrat Aisha Wahab, a member of the California State Senate since 2022, has won the special election in California’s 14th congressional district. The seat became vacant in April following the resignation of Representative Eric Swalwell, who was accused of sexual misconduct, and will be filled only for the remainder of the term—that is, for the few months leading up to the November election. The 39-year-old, the daughter of Afghan refugees, earned a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Southern California and worked at various nonprofit organizations before entering politics. With this victory, she has become the first Afghan-American woman to serve in the U.S. Congress.
Her story follows a pattern seen on many other occasions: backed by labor unions, environmental groups, healthcare and education professionals, “Our Revolution”—the political organization born out of Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign—and countless young volunteers, Aisha Wahab defeated the moderate Melissa Hernandez, an executive with the San Francisco Bay Area public transit system, who was backed by $6 million in funding from AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), the extremely powerful pro-Israel lobby.
Aisha Wahab won with a platform similar to that of many other progressive candidates: taxing billionaires, free and universal healthcare, support for workers’ rights and strengthening of union protections, increased public funding for affordable, public, and social housing, and strengthening tenants’ rights and protections against unjust evictions, as well as the defense of reproductive rights and women’s freedoms (including the protection of abortion rights). In addition to these civil and social issues, she has strongly criticized U.S. support for Israel and denounced the genocide in Gaza—a position that contrasts with that of Melissa Hernandez, who believes that “Israel has the right to defend itself.”
Aisha Wahab and Melissa Hernandez will face off again on November 3 for a full two-year term.
