Progressive California state lawmaker Aisha Wahab made history last week in a special election that will make her the first Afghan American in Congress. Wahab overcame a flood of attack ads from pro-Israel groups to beat her Democratic rival, Melissa Hernandez, in a race to replace disgraced Congressmember Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Wahab tells Democracy Now! she appreciates voters in her district for “seeing through” the “lies that were spread by AIPAC,” referring to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee. She also discusses her history of fighting caste discrimination in California and calls on the United States to engage with the Taliban government of Afghanistan as part of an effort of “steering them in the right direction” on human rights.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! | Radio Free (2026-08-24T12:53:05+00:00) In Defeat for AIPAC, Aisha Wahab Wins House Seat, Becoming First Afghan American in Congress. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2026/08/24/in-defeat-for-aipac-aisha-wahab-wins-house-seat-becoming-first-afghan-american-in-congress-2/
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