The election year has barely started — but a handful of Silicon Valley races have already become an intricate set of dominoes.
San Jose Councilmember David Cohen intends to run for California Senate District 10, representing parts of Santa Clara and Alameda counties. But his campaign depends on wide speculation that the district’s current seat holder, Aisha Wahab, is running for Congressional District 14. That seat is held by Eric Swalwell, who’s now running for governor.
Wahab, who wasn’t immediately available for comment, has yet to formally announce a bid for the congressional seat. But Cohen, who terms out from his current council term in District 4 in 2028, isn’t waiting around.
“I wouldn’t have been thinking about stepping into the race if there hadn’t been common wisdom that Aisha Wahab is running for the congressional seat,” he told San José Spotlight. “We can’t wait until March to step into the race if she does run. We all have to be prepared now.”
Though Cohen realizes things can still change.
“We could also argue that Eric Swalwell could always drop out of the governor’s race and stay in his seat, which would change things as well,” Cohen said. “We have to be prepared and assume that what we know to be true at this point is true.”
The District 4 councilmember specifically wants to help define the state’s role in providing funding for cities with mandates to address homelessness. The state budget is looking at a potential $35 billion multiyear deficit.
“The state is cutting funding while the city is doing more and the county is operating in a different lane,” Cohen said. “We all need to understand our roles and I think there’s a place for the state to define the rules better so that counties, cities and the state can all work in the same direction.”
Another priority, he said, is standing up for residents against the federal government under President Donald Trump.
“San Jose has been a leader in putting in place policies to protect our residents from policing strategies that are not making our communities safer — and there’s a lot we can do at the state level,” Cohen said. “I want to make sure we’re continuing to fight against immigration crackdowns and attempts to cut our funding.”
Cohen, who spent 14 years on the Berryessa Union School District board, said education is also top of mind as he fleshes out his campaign platform.
“It would be great to work on education issues much more, making sure that all students have equal opportunities to be successful across the state,” he said.
A Jan. 5 federal campaign filing indicates Wahab could hold off on running until the 2028 election, when the two-year congressional office is up for grabs again. Her 2026 state Senate reelection campaign committee remains active, according to state campaign finance records.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.