AIPAC-backed Democrat loses California House special election to Aisha Wahab

Democrat Aisha Wahab is projected to win a special election for a vacant US House of Representatives seat in California, defeating fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez. Wahab, an Afghan American, will fill the seat previously held by Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April. This victory will bring the Democratic House total to 213 seats. The election in the solidly Democratic district near San Francisco and San Jose saw significant outside spending, including nearly $2.5 million from the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC to support Hernandez. The Israel-Hamas War has heightened intra-party tensions, making AIPAC's involvement a focal point in some Democratic races. Wahab and Hernandez are set to face each other again in November for a full two-year term.