WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former state Sen. Aisha Wahab was sworn in Wednesday morning, becoming the first Afghan American to serve in Congress. She replaces former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned earlier this year.
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“For generations, the American Dream has made this country a beacon to the world because of one powerful promise: your past does not determine your future,” Wahab said Wednesday morning at the dais. “I walked into Congress carrying the beating heart of a former foster care kid.”
Wahab, 39, will serve the remainder of Swalwell’s Congressional District 14 term through the end of the year after the former Congressman resigned in April amidst allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women. The district covers southern Alameda County and the Tri-Valley, including parts of Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Dublin and Pleasanton.
She previously served on the Hayward City Council and as a California Senate District 10 representative, with constituents in parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties. Wahab is a former foster youth who holds a doctorate in social work from the University of Southern California.
Wahab beat BART Board President Melissa Hernandez in the Aug. 18 special election for the partial term. She also won two crowded June primaries. She will face a fourth election and a final rematch against Hernandez in the Nov. 3 general election.
“Today, Americans are tired. Tired of Democrats and Republicans fighting with one another, tired of the division that this Capitol sometimes represents because Republicans and Democrats alike are struggling to afford housing, utilities, groceries, education, healthcare and the basic necessities of life,” Wahab said. “That struggle belongs to all Americans.”
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While she took her oath, she was flanked by several fellow California Democratic representatives – some who have supported her through the election and others who actively campaigned against her and endorsed Hernandez.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren introduced her to the House floor, after spending both money and time campaigning for Hernandez in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 18 runoff. Lofgren previously criticized Wahab for not stepping aside for a placeholder candidate in June to fill the rest of Swalwell’s term, urging voters to support Hernandez.
“Mr. Speaker, we welcome a new member of the California Congressional Delegation to our ranks,” Lofgren said Wednesday, addressing Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. “Today, she makes history as the first Afghan American elected to Congress.”
Lofgren on Wednesday recounted Wahab’s upbringing. Born in New York to Afghan refugees, Wahab was later raised through the foster case system, first in New York and then in Fremont. Lofgren commended Wahab for championing foster youth and others who are underprivileged and vulnerable.
“As a policy maker, my goal is simple: to work with each and every one of you to deliver for the American people, regardless of party. These are our people,” Wahab said. “If we choose common purpose over division, and people over politics, we can make the promise of America real again because the American Dream does not belong to Republicans or Democrats. It belongs to every American who believes tomorrow can be better.”
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