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2w ago

Voters Cast Ballots as AIPAC-Linked Groups Spend Millions in California Special Runoff

Heavy outside spending has turned the contest into a test of pro‑Israel influence and Democratic direction ahead of a November rematch.

(L-R): Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Virginia), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), and Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nevada), speak at the 2019 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 25, 2019.
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East Bay voters on Tuesday will decide who will replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell in Congress for the remainder of his term. The candidates are both Democrats: state Sen. Aisha Wahab, left, and BART Board President Melissa Hernandez, right.
Aisha Wahab speaks during the Bay Area Abortion Rights Coalition commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade at City Hall in San Francisco, California, on Jan. 25, 2023. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Tuesday’s special runoff in California’s 14th District will fill the last roughly three months of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term while the same two Democrats will face each other again in November for the full seat.
  • Groups tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, including the United Democracy Project and allied PACs, have funneled several million dollars into mail and ad buys to boost Melissa Hernandez and attack Aisha Wahab, with overall outside spending reported in the low‑to‑mid millions.
  • Aisha Wahab entered the race as the June primary frontrunner with roughly 38–43 percent of the vote and has faced a late surge of negative outside ads that multiple outlets say have tightened the contest.
  • Campaign dynamics have widened beyond foreign policy to local issues such as public safety and immigration enforcement, and the race has produced FEC filings and complaints alleging coordinated social‑media activity and other irregularities.
  • Political strategists say the outcome will show whether concentrated outside spending can shift a low‑turnout special election and indicate whether pro‑Israel super PACs will keep investing heavily in key Democratic contests after mixed results this cycle.