Kathmandu— Voters in California's 14th Congressional District are heading to the polls Tuesday to elect a new representative following the resignation of Eric Swalwell, who stepped down amid allegations of sexual assault. The special election pits State Senator Aisha Wahab against local transit official Melissa Hernandez in a contest that has drawn significant outside spending and become a proxy fight within the Democratic Party over issues like U.S. policy toward Israel and criminal justice.

A Competitive Race Emerges

State Senator Aisha Wahab and local transit official Melissa Hernandez advanced from a June nonpartisan primary, receiving approximately 38 and 17 percent of the vote respectively, triggering Tuesday’s runoff election. California's “jungle primary” system allows the top two candidates to proceed regardless of party affiliation. Swalwell resigned in April after multiple allegations of sexual assault – claims he has denied – creating the vacancy.

Outside Spending Fuels Controversy

What was once considered a predictable race has become increasingly contentious due to an influx of outside money, particularly from Super PACs affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). These groups have spent millions in recent weeks attempting to defeat Wahab and support Hernandez. According to Federal Election Commission records, the United Democracy Project, one AIPAC-affiliated group, invested $1.2 million in August alone supporting Hernandez and opposing Wahab; another group contributed an additional $1.7 million. Collectively, outside groups have spent around $4.1 million on the race since mid-July, with approximately $3.7 million benefiting Hernandez’s campaign compared to just under $400,000 for Wahab.

Foreign Policy Takes Center Stage

Wahab, an Afghan American and the first Muslim woman elected to California’s state Senate, has been vocal in her criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and has advocated for legislation condemning alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians. This stance has made her a target for pro-Israel groups pouring money into Hernandez’s campaign. Wahab recently announced plans to file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging “unprecedented” election interference on social media by organizations like AIPAC, claiming a surge of coordinated misinformation campaigns.

Redistricting and Future Elections

The boundaries of California’s 14th Congressional District were recently redrawn as part of Proposition 50, a measure intended to prevent partisan gerrymandering. While the new map will take full effect in January for the regular election cycle, the winner of Tuesday's special election will serve under the existing district lines for the remainder of the year. Both Wahab and Hernandez are also slated to compete against each other again in November for a full two-year term.

Implications for National Politics

AIPAC’s significant spending in this race signals its intention to remain heavily involved in upcoming elections, including November's midterms. Despite a mixed record of success in earlier primaries this year, the group appears committed to deploying substantial financial resources to influence election outcomes.

The winner of Tuesday’s special election will serve out the remainder of Swalwell’s term, while both candidates will face each other again in November for the full congressional seat.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.