- Nadia Lopez
- Jan 8, 2026
- Axios.com
The first major face-off Wednesday in the race to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi centered on how each contender thinks power should be wielded and what kind of leader San Francisco needs in a Congress mired in dysfunction.
Why it matters: The packed event highlights how California’s 11th Congressional District race is shaping up to be San Francisco’s most consequential open-seat House contest in decades, featuring three candidates of varying shades of Democrat blue.
- Pelosi’s successor will inherit a role defined not just by its deep-blue electorate, but by an expectation of influence that comes at a time when Congress is fractured and Democrats remain split over how to confront a second Trump presidency.
State of play: In an election defying the typical partisan battles for national seats, the three candidates mainly sparred over how to approach issues they largely agree on.
- On stage Wednesday night: District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, a progressive on the Board of Supervisors since 2021, state Sen. Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti, a once-polarizing figure on Capitol Hill and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff.
- During the hours-long debate, more than 500 residents cramped inside a UC Law (formerly Hastings) auditorium near Civic Center, where the eager hopefuls answered questions on their policy priorities, governing styles and track records.
The big picture: The forum felt like a political speed-dating sesh, each competing to distinguish themselves in tightly-timed bursts.
- They broadly agreed on marquee progressive priorities — backing universal health care, curbing PG&E’s grip and endorsing changes to the Supreme Court and impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
- The fault lines emerged in a rapid-fire yes-or-no segment when Chan and Chakrabarti raised “Yes” signs in response to a question about Israel’s actions in Gaza being labeled as “genocide.” Wiener — who is Jewish — hesitated to answer, prompting audible opposition from the crowd.
- Wiener later told reporters the format flattened a complex issue. He maintained he doesn’t “support U.S. funding for the destruction of Palestinian communities” or Israel’s escalation of violence.
Between the lines: Chan — a progressive with a cautious approach to some housing developments and upzoning— positioned herself as a defender of the working class, advocate against billionaire power grabs and proponent of fiscal budgets that prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable.
- “When federal government’s elected leadership fails to deliver for people, they feel dismissed,” she said. “We have to attack Trump and take back our country… but also deliver for the working people.”
Wiener, a pragmatist at heart, came armed with a legislative resumé, touting his ambitious policy-setting record around housing, healthcare, public transportation and LGBTQ+ rights.
- He cast the seat as a command post — not an activist megaphone — leaning hard into Pelosi’s legacy: San Francisco needs a representative who knows how to confront Congress’ hostile terrain.
- “It’s not enough just to have good opinions or a lot of hot takes or go on a lot of podcasts or spend six months on Capitol Hill,” he said in what appeared to be a veiled jab at Chakrabarti.
- “You got to show that you are going to be up the task to build a broad-based coalition… MAGA doesn’t want me in D.C. because they know I know how to keep up. That’s what we need,” he added.
Chakrabarti, a political strategist and former Silicon Valley techie who has emerged as a prominent insurgent voice among Democrats (but has never held public office), channeled the anti-establishment “Feel the Bern” vibe espoused by politicians like AOC and NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani.
- He quickly refuted Wiener’s claims against him before explaining his class-conscious, systemic overhaul plans and decreasing the cost-of-living, among other reform-driven priorities.
- “We need to deliver a fundamentally better life-for-all and to do that, we need to perform major surgery on the entire system,” he said.
The bottom line: Voters will have much of this year to make up their mind on who will follow Pelosi, and a seasoned politician, a local progressive and a movement-minded disruptor will be fighting for those votes.
