Campaign

Special election for Swalwell’s open House seat heads to runoff

Source: The Hill June 18, 2026 at 9:42 PM (15 hours ago) California House

The special election for California Rep. Eric Swalwell's vacant House seat is heading to a runoff after no candidate secured a majority vote. Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab and transportation official Melissa Hernandez advanced as the top two candidates to the runoff round.

Key Points

  • No candidate achieved a majority in the initial special election, triggering a runoff between the top two finishers
  • Both advancing candidates are Democrats, suggesting the seat will remain in Democratic hands in the blue California district
  • The race involves state Sen. Aisha Wahab and Bay Area transportation official Melissa Hernandez