Hernandez is running against California State Sen. Aisha Wahab for the congressional seat previously held by Democrat Eric Swalwell. Wahab entered the final race as the stronger primary candidate, finishing more than 20 percentage points ahead of Hernandez in June.
AIPAC’s political spending arm, United Democracy Project, has now entered the race with $1.2 million in spending supporting Hernandez and opposing Wahab, according to federal election records.
The race has attracted even more outside money. Groups have spent about $3.7 million benefiting Hernandez since mid-July, compared with less than $400,000 benefiting Wahab.
The Israel issue has also become part of the political battle. Wahab has taken positions strongly critical of Israel, while AIPAC and its political allies work to elect candidates they believe will support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.
The winner of Tuesday’s special election will immediately fill the vacant California congressional seat for the remainder of 2026, giving the race importance beyond California as Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House.