WASHINGTON (AP) — Bay Area voters previously represented by Democratic former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell will narrow down a field of nearly a dozen candidates hoping to replace him in a special congressional primary on Tuesday. For several of these candidates, it’s the second time in two weeks that they have appeared on a ballot for this U.S. House seat.A Democratic hold in the heavily Democratic district would further tighten an already thin Republican majority in the U.S. House.Swalwell resigned from Congress in April following sexual-assault allegations he has denied. He also withdrew from the California governor’s race, in which he was a top contender.There are two campaigns underway for Swalwell’s former seat. One is a regularly scheduled election to serve in the next Congress for a term that starts in January 2027. The other is Tuesday’s special primary to serve out the remaining 15 weeks of Swalwell’s term.
Among the Democrats running in the special primary for the abbreviated term in the 14th District are former Dublin mayor and Bay Area Rapid Transit board member Melissa Hernandez, state Sen. Aisha Wahab and attorney and education entrepreneur Rakhi Israni Singh. Republican candidates include real estate investor Wendy Huang and small business owner Dena Maldonado. The top two finishers regardless of party will advance to a special general election on Aug. 18. California has a top-two primary system in which all candidates run on the same ballot.
