Voters replace disgraced ex-congressman Eric Swalwell

Voters in Alameda County were back at the polls Tuesday — just two weeks after the primary election — to decide who will replace disgraced ex-congressman Eric Swalwell, whose career imploded after disturbing allegations of rape and sexual assault derailed his candidacy for California governor.Despite months of controversy surrounding Swalwell, voters in the deep-blue East Bay aren’t breaking their habit.With 80% of ballots counted as of 8:32 p.m., Democrat Aisha Wahab led the field with 42.6% of the vote, short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff under California’s top-two system.

Trailing the frontrunner, Melissa Hernandez held second place with 16.8% of the vote (17,619 votes), followed by Rakhi Israni Singh in third at 13.3% (13,946 votes).Both are Democrats.Wahab is considered a staunchly progressive, left-leaning liberal.Her voting record and platform frequently draw comparisons to left-wing national figures like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Swalwell looked poised to win the California governor’s race as recently as early April, as the thirsty cable-news combatant parlayed his frequent criticism of President Trump into a campaign platform that courted support from Hollywood A-listers and political operatives in Gov.

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Never miss a story The bottom fell out on April 10 after allegations of rape, sexual assault and deviant behavior from a series of women surfaced in reports by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN. Democratic leaders pressured Swalwell to bow out of the governor’s race, his deep-pocketed donors distanced themselves, and prosecutors on both coasts and the Department of Justice all opened criminal probes.Eventually the pressure swelled to a degree that staffers refused ...