Nancy Pelosi's Pick Loses Race to Succeed Her as Scott Wiener Wins House Seat
Nancy Pelosi's hand-picked successor has lost the race for her San Francisco seat, handing the retiring former Speaker a final political setback on her way out of Congress.
Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener defeated fellow Democrat Connie Chan in California's 11th District, according to the Associated Press.
Chan, a San Francisco supervisor, had Pelosi's endorsement, fundraising help and staff support. It was not enough, and Wiener will now succeed the former Speaker after nearly 40 years in the House.
Both candidates advanced under California's top-two primary system, which lets two members of the same party face off in November. That set up a general election with no Republican on the ballot. The race was purely an intra-party fight.
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Limits of Pelosi's Power
Pelosi endorsed Chan shortly before the primary, helping an underdog campaign compete. But voters chose the candidate who had been preparing for the opening long before Pelosi announced her retirement.
Her involvement gave Chan backing from one of the most recognizable and influential Democrats in modern congressional history, making the loss all the more notable.
The seat stays in Democratic hands, but the result is a pointed rejection of Pelosi's choice of who should inherit it, and a sign of the limits of her influence even in her own backyard.
The race also produced accusations about why Pelosi intervened. Wiener's allies complained that her involvement reflected a personal vendetta, a claim Pelosi denied.
That dispute added another layer to a contest already defined by the question of who would follow Pelosi's decades-long tenure representing San Francisco.
Who Is Scott Wiener?
Wiener was first elected to the state Senate in 2016 after serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district once held by Harvey Milk. He brings an established record in California government to Washington.
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His legislative priorities include housing, transportation, health care, climate policy, criminal justice and LGBTQ issues, giving Republicans a long record to examine as he heads to Washington.
Housing has been his signature issue. He wrote SB 35, which streamlines housing approvals in communities that fail to meet their housing goals, and SB 10, which lets cities fast-track zoning changes for buildings with up to 10 apartments.
He also co-authored SB 9, which opened up single-family lots to duplexes and lot splits, and has backed transit funding, bike infrastructure and alternatives to driving.
Before entering office, Wiener worked as a San Francisco deputy city attorney and in private practice. He holds degrees from Duke University and Harvard Law School and has lived in the Castro neighborhood since 1997.
Chan's Campaign Falls Short
Chan was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2020, representing the Richmond District, and became chair of the board's budget committee in 2023. Her background also includes community organizing, volunteer interpreting, and work on parks and higher education.
She previously worked for then-District Attorney Kamala Harris, former Supervisor Aaron Peskin and then-Assemblymember Kevin Mullin. Born in Hong Kong, she moved to San Francisco at 13 and later graduated from UC Davis.
Both finalists brought government experience, but Pelosi's endorsement turned the contest into a test of her succession plans, and the former Speaker came up short.