Wahab’s move to Congress leaves state Senate seat vacant until November election

by Kiley Russell, Bay City News September 4, 2026September 4, 2026

Rep. Aisha Wahab, center left, stands with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, just after she was sworn in, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Wahab was elected to fill California's 14th Congressional District seat in the House that was previously held by Eric Swalwell. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Now that former California state senator Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, is officially a member of Congress, her state office will remain empty until after the November general election.

Wahab was sworn in Wednesday after beating BART Board Director Melissa Hernandez in a special election Aug. 18 to replace Erik Swalwell as California’s Congressional District 14 representative for the rest of his term this year.

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Kiley Russell, Bay City News

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

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