CA-14: Four Democrats Rally Behind Caretaker Candidate to Fill Swalwell's Seat Until End of Term

Party leaders are urging candidates to step aside and support retired state Senator Bob Wieckowski in the June 16 special election to act as a temporary replacement through the end of the seat's current term in January. They aim to avoid an August runoff that could leave the seat vacant into late summer and sideline a vote in Congress against several of President Donald Trump’s measures, as the Chronicle reports.

Four candidates, including Victor Aguilar Jr., Carin Elam, Melissa Hernandez, Rakhi Israni, and Matt Ortega, reportedly signed onto the effort, while a major candidate — state Senator Aisha Wahab — has not.

“We ask all Democratic voters to cast their ballots for Senator Wieckowski so he can help Democrats in the House try to block the Republican agenda immediately,” says the statement. “This will only work if all Democrats considering running for this special election agree to sign this pledge."

“All candidates will reserve the option to file for this special election if any of the other candidates breaks their pledge,” the statement explains.



https://sfist.com/2026/04/22/four-democrats-rally-behind-caretaker-candidate-to-fill-swalwells-seat-until-end-of-term/