California Elects Progressive Who Wants More Foreign Workers to Replace Swalwell

So this is where we are. Eric Swalwell, the congressman who became a national punchline after his alleged entanglement with a Chinese spy, has officially been replaced by Aisha Wahab, a progressive state lawmaker who just made history as the first Afghan-American in Congress. She beat fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez with 53 percent of the vote in California’s Fourteenth Congressional District. Congratulations are in order for the historic milestone, sure. But let’s talk about what comes with it.

Wahab didn’t just win. She crushed Hernandez despite millions of dollars flooding in from super PACs aligned with AIPAC. Think about that for a second. In an era where campaign cash usually decides elections, voters in this deep-blue district looked at the money machine and said no thanks. Wahab celebrated by telling KQED she was proud the district didn’t listen to “hate-mongering.” That’s one way to frame opposition, I suppose. Another way might be to acknowledge that some voters had legitimate concerns about her policy positions.

Here’s where things get interesting, and by interesting I mean concerning for anyone who believes American workers should come first. A recently surfaced interview shows Wahab talking to PunjabiTV about H-1B visas, those temporary work permits that let companies bring in foreign workers for specialty occupations. She called advocating for H-1B workers “far more crucial than I think people understand.” Then she asked why we’re not training the next generation of American leaders and technologists and doctors and nurses.

You know what? That’s actually a fantastic question. Why aren’t we training Americans for these jobs instead of importing workers to fill them? The H-1B program was supposed to address genuine skill shortages, not become a way for corporations to undercut American wages and avoid investing in homegrown talent. Silicon Valley loves these visas because they’re cost-effective. American tech workers who can’t find jobs or watch their salaries stagnate? They’re less enthusiastic.

The timing here matters. We’re watching working-class Americans struggle with inflation, housing costs that have gone absolutely insane, and an economy that feels rigged against anyone without a graduate degree or family connections. And now California sends someone to Congress who thinks the pressing issue is making sure we get more foreign workers into the pipeline. It’s not exactly reading the room.

Wahab’s victory also tells us something about the current state of the Democratic Party in deep-blue districts. AIPAC’s millions couldn’t move the needle. Traditional power brokers are losing their grip. The progressive wing isn’t just winning, they’re dominating in places like the Bay Area. Hernandez served as BART board president and was once mayor of Dublin, California. She had the establishment credentials. Didn’t matter.

Swalwell’s departure, by the way, came after sexual assault allegations that he’s denied. He suspended his gubernatorial campaign and resigned from office, leaving the seat open since April. The whole situation would be almost comedic if it weren’t so pathetic. This is the same guy who spent years on the House Intelligence Committee while reportedly being targeted by Chinese intelligence operations. Now his replacement wants to champion foreign workers over American ones.

Both Wahab and Hernandez will face off again in November for the full two-year term. Wahab already beat Hernandez by 21 points in the primary for that race, so barring some major revelation, we know how this story ends. California’s Fourteenth District is getting exactly what it voted for.

The broader question is what this means for the country. Every time we prioritize foreign workers over training and investing in Americans, we’re making a choice about our future. We’re saying that short-term corporate convenience matters more than building a sustainable workforce. We’re telling young Americans that maybe they shouldn’t bother with STEM degrees because companies will just hire cheaper alternatives from abroad anyway.

Individual liberty includes the liberty to compete fairly for jobs in your own country. Limited government doesn’t mean abandoning American workers to global wage competition manipulated by visa programs. Free markets work best when they’re actually free, not rigged by policies that artificially suppress labor costs. These aren’t complicated principles. They’re common sense wrapped in conservative values that used to be bipartisan.

Wahab will be sworn in soon to finish Swalwell’s term. She’ll make history, give inspiring speeches, and probably vote the progressive line on every major issue. And American workers in her district will keep wondering why their representative cares more about H-1B visas than their kitchen table concerns. But hey, at least the hate-mongering didn’t win.