- By Adam Shanks | Examiner staff writer |
- Apr 19, 2023 Updated 16 hrs ago (SFExaminer.com)
If former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi seeks another term, it’s unlikely any formidable Democrat would dare to oppose her.
- Craig Lee/The Examiner
Hypothetically, San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman is eyeing a jump to state politics.
Hypothetically.
Should the line of political dominoes fall just the right way in 2024, starting with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and continuing down through San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, Mandelman told The Examiner he is likely to seek a seat in the state legislature in 2024.
“I think the best way to run for a job that is higher up the political ladder is to do a good job in the job you’re in,” said Mandelman, who represents the Castro and Noe Valley neighborhoods. “I work really hard every day as a supervisor and hope people in San Francisco see that, inside my district and outside my district.”
Just as Senator Dianne Feinstein’s impending retirement is shaking up California politics, Nancy Pelosi’s decision whether or not to seek a 19th full term in the U.S. House of Representatives could have broad implications for both Mandelman and San Franciscans.
Despite stepping down from her position in Democratic leadership after winning an easy race for an 18th term last year, Pelosi remains in the House and has not publicly hinted at what her future holds.
If Pelosi seeks another term, no formidable Democrat will likely dare to oppose her, and no Republican stands much of a chance in a deep-blue district.
But if the 83-year-old Pelosi opts for retirement, state Sen. Scott Wiener has already said he’ll seek to replace her. If Wiener opts to vie for a seat in Congress rather than a third four-year term representing San Francisco in the State Senate, the field would open to replace him.
Matt Haney, a former San Francisco supervisor who won a first term in the Assembly last year, is rumored as a candidate to replace Wiener should he move on to Washington.
If Haney’s eyes are set on the Senate, Mandelman could jump in the race for Haney’s seat in the Assembly. The 17th Assembly District encompasses most of San Francisco’s east side, including Mandelman’s current supervisorial district.
Haney denied jockeying for Wiener’s seat, telling The Examiner he is prioritizing passage of the nearly 30 bills he’s introduced “to build housing, get people who are addicted or mentally ill into treatment, and solve serious problems facing our city.”
“My focus is on passing those bills and delivering for our city,” Haney said. “My plan is to run for reelection to the Assembly to continue that work. Scott Wiener is our State Senator, and that seat is not open.”
Of course, it could be open.
But even if Haney stays put, Mandelman might jump a rung in the political ladder and run for the State Senate. It’s a larger district than the 17th Assembly District, encompassing all of San Francisco and a part of San Mateo County.
Wiener appears all-in if Pelosi bows out. His campaign representative confirmed that the defining factor determining his political future is Pelosi’s decision.
Mandelman has represented his supervisorial district since 2018. If he’s successful in attaining state office, his successor would be appointed by the mayor to finish out Mandelman’s term overseeing District 8, which ends in 2026.
That’s a lot of ifs, woulds, and coulds — even by San Francisco political standards.
But it remains a real possibility and demonstrates the weight Pelosi’s decision would have not just on a national level, but a local one.
Mandelman, a moderate on San Francisco’s political spectrum, made clear he won’t try to unseat Wiener or Haney. But should either seat be open, he believes he’d be a solid candidate and, as a gay man, provide important and continued representation for the LGBTQ community at the state level.
“I think that I have been a good supervisor and I certainly have learned a lot on the job,” Mandelman said. “The issues that have been of greatest concern to me and been greatest concern to my constituents are in many ways California issues — mental health, homelessness, housing, (and) transportation.”
Mandelman has pushed California to allow for increased use of conservatorship to address pervasive mental health issues playing out on San Francisco’s streets.
Last year, Mandelman secured passage of a bill that allows up to four units of housing to be built on any residential lot in San Francisco.
He’s also focused on addressing homelessness by calling on The City to dramatically expand its temporary shelter. He authored A Place for All, a piece of legislation that tasked The City with building a three-year plan to end unsheltered homelessness and has called for Mayor London Breed to fund 2,000 new shelter beds in the upcoming budget.
