FREMONT, Calif. (Diya TV) — On the night of California’s June 2 primary, congressional candidate Rakhi Israni Singh gathered with supporters at her election night event, reflecting on what has been an unprecedented and fast-moving race to represent California’s 14th Congressional District. Speaking exclusively with Diya TV’s Ravi Kapur, Israni described a campaign fueled by civic enthusiasm and a growing desire among voters to engage with the political process.
“The excitement around the country and around this district and in this area has been amazing,” Israni said. “The enthusiasm is actually what has inspired me to keep going in a lot of ways.”
For Israni — an attorney, educator, and long-time Fremont community leader — the CA-14 primary marks her first-ever run for public office. But she entered the race under anything but ordinary circumstances. The seat, long held by Rep. Eric Swalwell since 2013, became vacant after Swalwell resigned in April following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, setting off a chain reaction that created not one but two separate elections for the same congressional seat.
Governor Gavin Newsom called a special election to fill the remainder of Swalwell’s term, with a special primary set for June 16 and a potential runoff on August 18. Separately, the regular June 2 primary determines which two candidates — regardless of party — advance to the November 3 general election under California’s top-two system. As Israni noted on election night, it has been a lot to navigate for voters and candidates alike.
“It’s definitely gotten a lot of attention. There’s a lot of confusion for sure in the district about how this is all working,” she said. “We have another election in two weeks now. It’s a crazy time for sure.”
With California leaning heavily on mail-in voting, Israni and her team were prepared for a slow and evolving count. Election night results in the state rarely tell the full story, and this race is no exception. Israni signaled she intends to keep her campaign active and her message sharp throughout the counting period.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm. There’s a lot of motivation,” she said. “We have a ton of people that have never ever even opened their ballots that actually voted in this election — not just voted, but were very keen that they will vote.”
Central to Israni’s pitch — both on the trail and at her election night event — is a call to civic engagement that goes beyond casting a ballot. She wants voters to understand how policy decisions directly shape their daily lives, from housing costs to education funding to public transit.
“Getting people more politically involved, getting them to pay attention to policies — how do policies affect their lives? People are now just starting to wake up to that,” she said. “And that’s how we get a better community and a better society.”
That message has resonated with a district that spans communities in the eastern Bay Area, including Fremont, Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and Union City — a region home to a large and diverse population of professionals, immigrants, and working families.
On election night, with a significant portion of ballots still uncounted, early results showed California State Sen. Aisha Wahab — who spearheaded controversial caste discrimination bill SB 403 — leading the field with approximately 34% of the vote. Former Dublin Mayor and BART Board President Melissa Hernandez was in second place with around 16%, followed closely by Republican candidates Wendy Huang and Dena Maldonado. Israni and the remaining candidates were still working through the vote count.
Because California certifies results by July 10, the final order of finish — and whether Israni advances to the November general election — will not be known for weeks as mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be processed across Alameda County.
Israni’s campaign has drawn significant interest beyond the district, particularly among Indian American communities across the country. She raised over $2.1 million from January through mid-May — more than all other candidates in the race combined — bolstered in part by a personal loan to her campaign. Her fundraising haul signaled strong early enthusiasm, as did endorsements from Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and other prominent Democratic figures.
If she were to advance and ultimately win in November, Israni would be among the first Indian American women to represent California in Congress — a milestone her campaign has acknowledged while keeping the focus squarely on substantive issues.
With the special primary for the remainder of Swalwell’s congressional term set for June 16, voters in the district face yet another ballot in the coming days. The layered electoral calendar — a regular primary, a special primary, a potential special runoff, and a November general election — has made this one of the most complex congressional races in the country this cycle.
For Israni, the path forward is clear: stay focused on the people.
“That momentum needs to continue,” she said. “Getting people more politically involved, getting them to pay attention to policies — that’s the way it should be.”
