Two Democrats with differing views on ICE and Gaza battle for Eric Swalwell’s vacant California seat

Being daughters of immigrant parents, coming from humble origins, living in Northern California, and sharing an affinity for the Democratic Party are some of the things state Senator Aisha Wahab and Melissa Hernández, director of San Francisco’s public transit system, have in common. The two are facing off this Tuesday in a special election to succeed former Congressman Eric Swalwell, who resigned his seat in April amid multiple sexual assault allegations.

But the similarities between Wahab and Hernández fade when they address some of the campaign’s most sensitive issues, including the future of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. financial support for Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, which have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Adding to the controversy are the millions of dollars in donations Hernández has received from a powerful pro-Israel political committee.

The super PAC in question is the United Democracy Project (UDP), which is affiliated with AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The group has spent roughly $2.5 million promoting Hernández and running ads against her main rival, Wahab, who is entering the race as the frontrunner following the primary results. That figure is on top of about $1.8 million spent by Bold America, an independent group that has also received funding from UDP and supports Hernández.

Wahab, who is of Afghan descent, argues that AIPAC’s attacks stem from her opposition to unconditional U.S. support for the Israeli government. Last year, she introduced a resolution in the California Senate calling for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, which she described as a “genocide” taking place in Gaza.

“They can spend $3 million, $10 million or $20 million. They still won’t be able to buy this seat,” the candidate told EL PAÍS in a written response. “My opponent can answer for her own positions and for the millions being spent to elect her,” she added.

Hernández, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, has faced scrutiny over her stance on the conflict in the Middle East and for not condemning Israel’s actions more forcefully. At a forum on April 7, an audience member asked the candidates whether they believed Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Every candidate except Hernández answered yes. She instead offered a more nuanced response, limiting herself to condemning “the destruction in Gaza.”

Speaking to The Hill, Hernández said that none of her donors had influenced her political agenda. “My opponent wants to nationalize this race when it really should be about how we best serve the voters here in the East Bay and Tri Valley,” she said.

AIPAC’s spending on various candidates in the midterm elections has become an increasingly controversial issue. The committee spent a record $30 million backing Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost her bid to become the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan to progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The group’s contributions have also featured prominently in New Hampshire’s Senate primary and in the race for Florida’s 25th Congressional District.

A Democratic stronghold in San Francisco

Wahab and Hernández are competing for California’s 14th Congressional District, which includes several cities in the San Francisco Bay Area in the northern part of the state, including Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton, Union City, San Leandro, Fremont and Dublin. The district is a Democratic stronghold: about 50% of registered voters identify as Democrats, compared with 17% who identify as Republicans.

State Senator Wahab finished first in the June primary, defeating Hernández by more than 20 percentage points. The winner of Tuesday’s special election will hold the seat only for the remainder of the term left unfinished by Swalwell. In November, Wahab and Hernández will face each other again, this time for a full term beginning in January 2027, in a bid to represent a district that underwent few changes as part of Democrats’ strategy to regain control of the House of Representatives.

Swalwell had emerged as one of the leading Democratic contenders to run for California governor and succeed Gavin Newsom. But allegations of sexual misconduct forced him out of both that race and his congressional seat. One woman who worked in his office for two years alleged that the congressman sexually assaulted her on at least two occasions. Another woman claimed that, while they were together at a bar, he kissed her and touched her leg without her consent. She later said that she went to the congressman’s hotel room while extremely intoxicated but does not remember what happened afterward.

Abolishing ICE

During campaign debates, Wahab and Hernández voiced support for the women who accused Swalwell and agreed that they would use their public service experience to help restore the reputation of the congressional seat.

They also share similar views on immigration reform, backing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and criticizing ICE raids, which they argue fail to distinguish between individuals with criminal records and those without.

Their positions diverge, however, on what should be done with the federal immigration enforcement agency itself. Hernández has called for a “fundamental reform” of ICE to prevent family separations. During a debate on April 13, she also said it was necessary to “work with neighboring countries to prevent the flow of migrants crossing our borders.”

Wahab takes a more hardline stance: she wants to abolish ICE altogether. One of her initiatives would require immigration agents to refrain from wearing masks or face coverings. The measure was approved in California and signed into law by Governor Newsom in September 2025, but its implementation was later halted by a legal challenge from the federal government.

“They should be required to identify themselves to ensure public trust in law enforcement,” she said during a debate.

As for the proposal to eliminate ICE, Hernández said she does not support it because “it may not happen.”

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