Aisha Wahab, a progressive California state senator, narrowly defeated former local mayor Melissa Hernandez in a special election in California’s 14th Congressional District, and will replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) in the House.

Hernandez was backed by more than $2.5 million in spending from the AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project super PAC, among other outside groups, which helped her draw closer to Wahab in the final count than some observers had initially expected.

Ultimately, Wahab finished with 53% to Hernandez’s 47%, pulling ahead after the two were neck-and-neck for much of the count. The two are set to face off again in November in the regular general election to serve out a full term in Congress. 

The results are the latest stumble for UDP in a cycle where its track record has been decidedly mixed. UDP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it intends to remain engaged in the district in the general election contest.

Wahab’s positions on Israel and antisemitism legislation had worried some leaders in the Jewish community, though another argued that she was not as extreme as members of the anti-Israel Squad. On her campaign website, Wahab included a page naming specific pro-Israel donors who were supporting Hernandez’s campaign.

“My record speaks for itself: I have consistently stood against antisemitism, supported the safety and security of Jewish communities, worked in partnership with Jewish colleagues, and defended Israel’s right to exist — while also maintaining that as an American elected official, I have both the right and the responsibility to question the policies of any foreign government and to speak out when innocent civilians are suffering,” Wahab said in a statement to Jewish Insider.