California Democrats are buzzing about Aisha Wahab, a progressive city councilwoman in Hayward who said she would run for Swalwell’s seat the day after he announced his bid for president.

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Wahab, 31, would become the first person of Afghan descent to serve in Congress. Democratic strategists in California said she represents a real challenge to Swalwell in an East Bay district where only 34 percent of the population is white, 30 percent are of Asian descent and nearly a quarter are Hispanic.

The candidates circling those House seats are unlikely to bow out if the incumbents sideline their presidential ambitions. They can make the case to voters that the incumbents were more focused on their own careers than on the districts they represent.

“At a certain point, every candidate in this race will at some point have to conduct a reality check and do an assessment of whether he or she can break out in such a large pack. And for those candidates who would have to give up their day job in order to stay in the race, or for those who just may flat-out run out of cash, that decision will often come sooner rather than later,” said Brian Brokaw, a California-based Democratic strategist who has been watching Swalwell’s district.

Politicians who run for president and then run for reelection when their campaigns don’t pan out frequently have difficult times convincing voters they care about their current jobs.

“Seth’s got a good record. I think he’s been a good congressman. But the question is, do people think he hasn’t been paying attention to the district because he’s running for president,” said Scott Ferson, a Massachusetts Democratic strategist who advised Moulton in 2014.

Making matters more complicated for the members of Congress seeking the White House is that all three have clashed with Democratic leadership, both in their home states and in Washington.

Swalwell won his seat in Congress by ousting Rep. Pete Stark (D), the dean of California’s congressional delegation when Swalwell beat him in 2012.

The most significant threats Moulton faces come from women who are considering mounting a challenge. Several Massachusetts political watchers pointed to state Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D) and Kim Driscoll (D), the mayor of Salem, as potential rivals.

"The biggest threat to Seth Moulton keeping that congressional seat is a woman running against him. He opened the door when he opposed Nancy Pelosi," said Mary Anne Marsh, a Boston-based Democratic strategist. "Kim Driscoll is somebody who a lot of people think could run, should run, and would win if she did."

“If Nancy Pelosi wanted to have some payback, that would be a concern," Ferson said.

In Hawaii, where political memories are long, Gabbard beat out a crowded field that included former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann (D) to win her seat. She angered some Democrats with her opposition to same-sex marriage, a stand she has since reversed. And she roiled many by visiting Syrian dictator Bashar Assad at the height of a bloody civil war, in which Assad had been accused of war crimes.