The race for Swalwell's seat in California will be decided in a runoff election after the first round failed to produce a clear winner

The race to fill the congressional seat formerly held by Democrat Eric Swalwell will proceed to a runoff after no candidate managed to secure more than 50% of the vote in the California special election, according to DDHQ projections released on Thursday. California State Senator Aisha Wahab and Bay Area transportation official Melissa Hernandez, both Democrats, finished as the top two vote-getters and will face off in a runoff scheduled for August 18. The winner will represent California’s 14th Congressional District for the remainder of the year.

The special election was triggered after Swalwell resigned from Congress in April following allegations of sexual misconduct. He also dropped out of the race for California governor, where he was considered a leading contender. In the statement confirming his departure from the House of Representatives, Swalwell said he would fight “the serious and false accusation that has been leveled against me,” while also apologizing and taking responsibility.

The two candidates will compete again in November for a full term in Congress, after advancing through the California primary process. Wahab emerged as the frontrunner, garnering approximately 43% of the vote. Hernandez followed with about 17%, while attorney and Democratic candidate Rakhi Israni Singh received around 13%.

Wahab, who currently serves as a California state senator and holds the position of assistant majority leader in the state legislature, has focused her campaign on issues related to affordability and environmental sustainability.  For her part, Hernandez, the former mayor of Dublin, California, has focused her campaign on addressing the state’s housing affordability crisis and promoting immigration reform.