Primary Round-Up For Hayward Voters

Voters in the City of Hayward will soon receive mail-in ballots for the June 2nd primary election. Not only will the primary election help narrow the candidates for California Governor, Hayward voters will also need to narrow the field for the House seat recently vacated by alleged sexual assaulter Eric Swalwell and the State Senate seat vacated by Aisha Wahab.

In an effort to better help Hayward voters navigate the dozens of candidates on the ballot, the Hayward Herald has complied information about each candidate from as many reliable sources as possible. Of note, down-ballot candidates often receive less media scrutiny and therefore information may be harder to find. Local polling is especially difficult to come by, but we'll be sharing anything we find.

California Governor

The race for California Governor will have over 50 candidates on the ballot, though the number of realistic candidates is closer to 8. Of those 8 candidates, 6 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans. Polling has consistently placed the 2 Republicans, Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, within the top 3. This is due to the remaining 6 Democrats splitting the vote and undecided voters.

Other outlets, specifically CalMatters, have covered the Governor's race in much more detail. They even have a quiz to help decide on which candidate most aligns with your views on a number of issues.

More Information

Dozens of polls have been conducted throughout the Governor's race and the most recent polling results can be found aggregated at The Ballot Book.

House of Representatives CA-14

The seat most recently held by former Representative Eric Swalwell, his abrupt resignation from Congress has ensured that Hayward voters will need to vote for this seat twice in quick succession. The first vote on June 2nd will be for the full-term beginning January 2027, the second vote on June 16th will be for a candidate to finish the remainder of the 2026 term.

According to multiple reports, local Democratic party leaders encouraged former State Senator Bob Wieckowski to fill the interim role as a "caretaker" candidate. However that plan fell apart when State Senator Aisha Wahab failed to agree to the proposal. As of now, there appear to be 11 candidates vying for the interim role, the most prominent of whom are also running for the full term seat.

The candidates below are those running for the full-term seat in the June 2nd primary. * indicates they are also running in the June 16th Special Election.

Victor Aguilar (D)

According to his website, Aguilar's platform includes: funding universal healthcare, streamlining affordable housing, protecting neighbors from deportation, creating good paying jobs through workforce development, and regulating AI to protect working people.

Suzanne Chenault (No party preference)

Chenault appears to have no campaign website and the Herald was unable to find verifiable information about her policy platform in time for publication.

Carin Elam (D)

A former information technology and business consultant, Elam worked with Democrats Abroad while completing her Master's degree in International and European Governance in the Netherlands. According to her website, Elam plans to bring "transparency and compromise to Congress" with a focus on lowering healthcare premiums, creating an AI-resilient workforce, and protecting voting rights.

Melissa Hernandez (D)*

Former Mayor of Dublin and currently serving as the District 5 Representative on the BART Board of Directors, Hernandez is currently working as the Director of Healthcare Services for Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert. Hernandez's platform includes building more housing by lowering the cost of materials, supporting small businesses with a tax holiday and loan incentives, expanding the child tax credit, expanding access to healthcare (though not universal healthcare), abolishing ICE, and community violence intervention programs.

Hernandez has been endorsed by Mayor Mark Salnias and Councilmember Francisco Zermeno.

Wendy Huang (R)*

Huang is a Taiwanese immigrant who spent over a decade working in high tech industries. Huang is endorsed by Moms for Liberty and the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Her policies include backing police and the rule of law, cutting fees and taxes to increase affordability, and refocusing schools on math, reading, writing, and science.

Rakhi Israni (D)*

Israni founded a Fremont-based education company and serves as an attorney in the East Bay. Israni is endorsed by a number of local Asian and South-Asian politicians ranging from Fremont to Foster City to Cupertino and Los Altos. Her platform includes lowering costs for families through child tax credits and Medicare negotiations, building more homes and expanding lending for small businesses, and increased funding for law enforcement.

Dena Maldonado (R)*

Maldonado says she is a "regular business owner" and has a mailing address in Dublin. She is endorsed by the Alameda County Republican Party and the California Republican Party. Maldonado's platform includes requiring proof of citizenship for voting, increasing border security, protecting concealed carry across State borders, enforcing laws governing unhoused encampments, strong support for Police, expanding school choice, cutting environmental regulations to expand housing, eliminating the gas tax and expanding highways, and redirecting water to farms and ranches.

Matt Ortega (D)

Ortega, originally from Hayward, owns a digital consulting firm and has organized for Democratic campaigns since the Obama administration in 2012. He is endorsed by the Bay Area Reporter, Honor PAC, Progressive Voter Network, and Courage for Democracy. Ortega's platform includes supporting free childcare and cancelling student loan debt, the Green New Deal, ending Israel's genocide in Gaza, protecting voting rights and enacting Supreme Court reform, Medicare for All, abolishing ICE, and demilitarizing the police.

Aisha Wahab (D)*

Wahab is a former Hayward City Council member and current State Senator for District 10, which includes Hayward. Her endorsements include a number of State Senators and Assemblymembers, as well as two BART Board Members. She is also endorsed by, among others, the California Democratic Party, Alameda Labor Council, SEIU California, California Faculty Association, California Police Chiefs, California Peace Officers Association, the Working Families Party, and LiUNA.

Wahab's platform includes lowering cost of living by making childcare affordable and protecting social security, protecting renters and building more housing, protecting Medicaid and capping out-of-pocket costs (not universal healthcare), lowering college costs and expanding counselors, ban congressional insider trading, supporting small businesses, and supporting law enforcement accountability with more resources.

Wahab has been endorsed by Hayward Council members Angela Andrews, Ray Bonilla, Julie Roche, Dan Goldstein, and George Syrop.

More Information

According to East Bay Insiders, internal polling funded by the Working Families Party and conducted by David Binder Research from April 1-4 of 400 likely June 6 Primary voters places Aisha Wahab (D) in the lead with 29%. However 35% of voters were still undecided.

• Aisha Wahab (D) 29%
• Wendy Huang (R) 9%
• Melissa Hernandez (D) 9%
• Dena Maldonado (R) 8%
• Matt Ortega (D) 2%
• Rakhi Israni (D) 2%
• Victor Aguilar, Jr. (D) 1%
• Suzanne Chenault (NPP) 1%
• Carin Elam (D) 0%
• WOULD SKIP RACE 3%
• UNDECIDED 35%

Additionally, the Pleasanton Weekly conducted a Candidate Forum for candidates for CA-14 where they shared their stances on a number of issues.

California 10th Senate District

This seat has been vacated by Senator Aisha Wahab so she can run for Congress. The seat is contested by 6 different candidates.

David Cohen (D)

David Cohen is a former member of the Berryessa Union School District Board Board of Trustees and member of the San Jose City Council representing District 4. Cohen is endorsed by the San Jose Police Officers Association, Climate Action California, Housing Action Coalition, the Sunnyvale Democratic Club, and a number of elected officials from Santa Clara County. His platform includes support for denser transit-oriented housing, advocating for equitable school funding, support for clean energy jobs and regional climate adaptation, "effective public safety", and protecting immigrants.

Anne Kepner (D)

Anne Kepner is a personal injury and wrongful death attorney in Santa Clara County who currently serves as a Trustee on the West Valley-Mission Community College Board. She has been endorsed by a number of unions, including California Professional Firefighters, California Teachers Association, Alameda Labor Council, Building and Constructions Trades of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, SEIU California, SEIU 1021, and SEIU UHW, UFCW 5, and United Domestic Workers of America. Her platform includes corporate accountability and community health, job creation, and housing affordability.

Kepner has locally been endorsed by HUSD Trustee Austin Bruckner-Carrillo and Hayward City Council member George Syrop.

A Political Action Committee, called "JobsPAC, a Bi-Partisan Coalition of California Employers, sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce" which received majority funding from PG&E, Edison International, and Sempra Energy, ran an attack ad against Kepner.

Raymond Liu (D)

Raymond Liu is a software engineer, Fremont native, and youngest elected member of the Fremont City Council. His endorsements include teachers, software engineers, and community leaders. His platform includes addressing homelessness with measurable solutions, improving public safety, holding government accountable for spending, and supporting working families facing high cost of living.

Carmen Montano (D)

Carmen Montano is a public school teacher and current Mayor of Milpitas. Her endorsements include Milpitas Police Officers Association, Milpitas Firefighters Local 1699, and a number of local elected officials--primarily Mayors and Council members--from across Southern Alameda County and Northern Santa Clara County. Her platform includes exempting homeowners 60+ from property taxes, providing "no-strings-attached" grants for local police, insurance reform, and protecting merit-based admissions to elite public high schools.

Linda Price (R)

Linda Price, the lone Republican candidate, does not list a profession but says she is "not a career politician." Price's endorsements include the California Rifle and Pistol Association, the National Rifle Association, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Reform California, and both the Santa Clara and Alameda County Republican Parties. Her platform includes protecting Prop 13 and cutting taxes, giving resources to law enforcement and keeping parents involved in schools, and transparency and accountability in government spending.

Scott Sakakihara (D)

Scott Sakakihara is a Union City Council member, former employee of Palantir, and former Intelligence Officer in the Navy Reserve. Sakakihara is also endorsed by a number of unions, including IAFF Local 55, California State Council of Laborers, Building and Construction Trades of Alameda County, UA Local 342, and LiUNA 304, as well as the AAPI Legislative Caucus, East Bay Young Democrats, and Vote Vets. Endorsements from local elected officials include Former Assemblymember Bill Quirk, Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez, Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas, Former Hayward Mayor Barbara Halliday, and Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Aisha Knowles.

Hayward Unified School District Measure G

Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) is hoping to mass Measure G, a tax of $98 per parcel per year for 12 years which will generate approximately $4,000,000 per year. The parcel tax will have exemptions for seniors, independent oversight, and will increase with inflation.

The argument in favor says that Measure G will:

-Support programs that help students improve math skills
-Sustain strong academic programs in reading, writing, math, art, and science
-Attract and retain highly qualified teachers and staff and minimize layoffs
-Preserve literacy programs that help students learn to read and write
-Keep high school students engaged in their education, prevent dropouts and help students compete for college and good jobs

There are no arguments submitted against Measure G.

The measure is endorsed by the entirety of the Hayward City Council and the full HUSD Board of Trustees. It is financially supported by HUSD Trustee Austin Bruckner-Carrillo, Mayor Mark Salinas, Building and Construction Trades of Alameda County, the Hayward Education Association, AEOTE, and SEIU 1021.

5/6/26 Editor's Note: Added endorsements for Measure G from the Hayward City Council and HUSD Board of Trustees and clarified that the support is financial.