Aisha Wahab won the California special election to replace former US Congressman Eric Swalwell, who left office amid allegations of sexual assault. The Democrat will become the first member of Congress of Afghan descent in US history – she was born into a family that fled the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s.
According to the Associated Press (AP), with 95% of the ballots counted, Wahab beat her opponent, another Democrat, Melissa Hernandez, with 53.1% of the vote to 46.9%. The winner will not have the opportunity to serve a full two-year term in the US House of Representatives, since the elections were early. She will compete again for her seat in November.
Wahab, 39, previously became the first person of Afghan descent and Muslim faith in the California Senate. The Democrat has sat in the upper house of the local Legislature since 2022 and headed the specialized committee on business and economic development. She previously served on the Hayward City Legislature.
Wahab's parents fled Afghanistan to the United States before her birth, and the future politician was born in New York. Wahab's father was soon killed under undetermined circumstances, and after him his mother died.
The two children spent some time in the foster care system before being taken in by a family in California. Wahab and her sister were adopted by Afghans living in Alameda County, where she then began her political career.
“I was much luckier than many others in the care structures – less than 3% receive higher education. However, I still have noticeable baggage and a feeling of an outsider – I try to use this trauma for good,” the politician said in an interview with The San Francisco Standard before the August 18 elections.
The publication notes that Wahab’s opponent’s headquarters spent at least $2 million on campaigning against her during the decisive period of the campaign. The candidate was opposed by the influential lobbying organization American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) because of her criticism of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip.
While serving in the California Senate, Wahab also faced criticism over a bill to ban caste discrimination in California. Wahab's initiative was protested by the state's Indian community, considering the wording xenophobic and the essence excessive due to California's laws restricting any discrimination. The law was eventually passed in the Legislature, but was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Wahab advocates a number of progressive positions for American politics, for example, on expanding the Medicare public health program to all residents of the country. At the same time, she does not consider herself to be one of the increasingly popular democratic socialists.
