Bay Area voters will decide Tuesday whether to elect Rep. Aisha Wahab to a full term in California's 14th Congressional District, or have BART Board Director Melissa Hernandez represent them in the House.
Wahab currently represents the district after voters were asked to choose a replacement to carry out the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell's term. Swalwell resigned in April after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.
Wahab was born in Queens, New York, but was adopted and grew up in California after her father was killed and her mother died, her biography states. She graduated high school in Fremont, went on to earn a doctorate from USC. She was on the Hayward City Council from 2018-2022 and was then a state senator from 2022-2026, before being elected to the 14th Congressional District during a special election.
Hernandez is currently BART board director and director of health care services for Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert. She has lived in Dublin for over 30 years and served as mayor for four years. She attended CSU East Bay in Hayward and earned a degree in political science, political affairs and administration.
The race between Wahab and Hernandez, both Democrats, has become increasingly contentious, with millions of dollars pouring into the race.
During an Oct. 7 debate sponsored by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the candidates spoke on public safety, which has become a key issue in the race.
At the debate, Wahab shared how crime has personally affected her life.
"When my family came to this country, my father was actually murdered in New York City," Wahab said. "Today, nearly 30+ years later, it's still considered a cold case. It does not just affect the individual the crime happened to right there in the moment. It affects the entire family like myself that still has no answers."
In response, Hernandez touted her record while serving as mayor of Dublin and her time as BART board director.
"I have hired more police officers when I was the mayor of Dublin without increasing taxes," Hernandez said. "We have hired more police officers at BART to make it a priority to keep our riders safe."
Wahab lists cracking down on junk fees, combating price gouging and expanding the renter's tax credit as accomplishments during her time in the state Senate. She has said that if elected, she wants to continue those efforts, protect seniors on fixed incomes and take on corporate monopolies.
Hernandez said that, if elected, she would work to combat organized retail theft to help local businesses and secure more resources for first responders. She said she is also focused on lowering prescription drug costs, expanding Medicare and restoring funding for health programs used by vulnerable families.
Wahab is endorsed by prominent members of the Democratic Party including Gov. Gavin Newsom, California Sen. Alex Padilla and Attorney General Rob Bonta. Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also endorsed Wahab, along with the California Democratic Party, California Federation of Labor Unions, California Police Chiefs and California Peace Officers Association, among others.
Hernandez is endorsed by the Fremont Police Association, Alameda County Firefighters, Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs' Association, and others.
She is also endorsed by elected officials including Dublin Mayor Sherry Hu, Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas and Livermore Mayor John Marchand.
