Aisha Wahab, a 39-year-old progressive Democrat, made history on Friday by becoming the first Afghan-American elected to the U.S. Congress following a California special election win that underscores a growing leftward push within the Democratic Party.
Wahab, a California state senator, secured 53.1% of the vote to defeat fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez. The special election fills the seat left vacant by former Congressman Eric Swalwell, who stepped down in April following sexual misconduct claims that he denies. Wahab will serve out the current term ending in January and is set for a rematch with Hernandez in November for a full two-year term.
