{"id":44934,"date":"2025-11-06T12:08:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T20:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=44934"},"modified":"2025-11-06T12:08:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T20:08:12","slug":"these-are-the-top-contenders-to-replace-nancy-pelosi-in-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/06\/these-are-the-top-contenders-to-replace-nancy-pelosi-in-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"These are the top contenders to replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By\u00a0Joe Garofoli<\/a>,\u00a0J.D. Morris<\/a>,\u00a0Dustin Gardiner<\/a>, Staff Writers Nov 6, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gift Article<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contest to replace Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi had begun before she announced her decision to retire Thursday. Now it\u2019s likely to intensify quickly, becoming one of the highest-profile battles heading into the critical 2026 midterm election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House of Representatives has 435 seats, and the one representing all but a few southern neighborhoods in San Francisco wields no unique power. But Pelosi did, adding intrigue to a race also heightened by President Donald Trump\u2019s past efforts to target the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while the campaign won\u2019t affect Democrats\u2019 effort to retake the House \u2014 no Republican can compete here \u2014 it could turn into a proxy for bigger questions facing the left: What kind of candidates will lead the way, and which messages will resonate with voters?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, the list of contenders includes state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat who\u2019s arguably the most progressive member of the Senate yet known as a moderate in the city; and Saikat Chakrabarti, a wealthy software engineer and former top aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, political observers have speculated that Christine Pelosi, an attorney, party activist and the daughter of the former speaker, may run for her mother\u2019s seat, but she has not confirmed whether she\u2019s interested in the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another potential candidate \u2014 and potential recipient of Nancy Pelosi\u2019s endorsement, if it leaves the family tree \u2014 is San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who is believed to be contemplating a bid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The race could make history. If Wiener wins, he would be the first openly gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress, while either Chan or Chakrabarti would be the first person of Asian descent to do so. The city has been a bastion of the LGBTQ rights movement for decades and its population is more than 30% Asian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seat is sure to continue to draw the limelight. Pelosi had so much influence, and was subject to so much vitriol from the far right, that a man obsessed with conspiracy theories broke into her San Francisco home two years ago and nearly killed her husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what voters should know about the top contenders so far.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scott Wiener<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wiener may end up as the best-known candidate when the field takes shape. He has represented San Francisco and a sliver of the Peninsula in the state Senate since 2016, when he narrowly defeated Jane Kim in the general election. As a legislator, Wiener has often taken on controversial and complex policy fights, from bills to increase housing density to protecting transgender rights to securing funding for the city\u2019s ailing transit systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before he got to Sacramento, Wiener was a member of the Board of Supervisors for about six years, representing the district that includes the Castro. He previously worked for the city attorney\u2019s office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiener formed an exploratory campaign committee in March, though he said he only planned to run in the event Pelosi didn\u2019t seek another term. But he got tired of waiting, and late last month officially launched his 2026 bid<\/a>. Wiener\u2019s head start allowed him to start raking in campaign contributions and courting endorsements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a prolific lawmaker has gained Wiener a legion of fans, from YIMBYs to climate hawks. It has also earned him a fierce, outspoken group of enemies. Wiener is simultaneously a boogeyman to the right<\/a> over his pro-LGBTQ policies and despised by some progressives in the city over his support for expanding conservatorships for the mentally ill and his backing of moderates like District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Supervisor Matt Dorsey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiener\u2019s \u201cgo big or go home\u201d approach to legislating has made him a power player in Sacramento and given him a national profile. But he will likely have to raise gobs of money and campaign hard to stave off potential challengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christine Pelosi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While she has the name recognition that comes with being the daughter of an iconic party chief, the younger Pelosi has had a long career of her own, as an attorney and political leader. She has been an executive committee member to the Democratic National Committee since 2017, and a member of the DNC since 1996. She is the cofounder of We Said Enough, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christine Pelosi has been consistently evasive about whether she intends to run for her mother\u2019s seat, though she\u2019s left the door open. \u201cI\u2019m 100% focused on passing Prop 50 \u2014 especially in the swing districts we need to win in CA to win the House \u2014 and think every Dem should be as well,\u201d she said in a text message before this week\u2019s passage of the redistricting measure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has never held public office, which could concern some voters as they compare her resume to that of Wiener. But not having a legislative voting record could also be an advantage in that Pelosi can\u2019t be easily defined. And there\u2019s precedent for San Francisco electing a representative who has not held public office. Exhibit A: her mother, who was a party leader and homemaker prior to her first election in 1987.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saikat Chakrabarti<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Saikat Chakrabarti answers questions during his campaign kickoff at The Chapel in San Francisco on Oct. 8, 2025.Manuel Orbegozo\/For the S.F. Chronicle<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 39-year-old political activist and software engineer, who made much of his considerable wealth as a founding engineer at payments processing company Stripe, didn\u2019t wait for Nancy\u00a0Pelosi to announce her coming retirement, saying last year he would challenge her in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chakrabarti was a top campaign aide to Ocasio-Cortez when the future progressive star, then a 29-year-old New York bartender, pulled off her stunning defeat of Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent and member of the Democratic House leadership. Chakrabarti later served as Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s chief of staff and as director of organizing technology on Bernie Sanders\u2019 2016 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Christine Pelosi, he has never held public office. He has said he didn\u2019t challenge Pelosi because of her age, or because she\u2019s been in office too long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think Nancy Pelosi\u2019s skills in politics (are) what the party needs right now,\u201d he said. \u201cI think what the party needs right now is new ideas and a real way to confront this far-right movement in today\u2019s politics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chakrabarti officially launched his campaign Oct. 8 at a rally in San Francisco. He had $244,051 cash on hand at the fundraising period that ended June 30, according to campaign filing<\/a> disclosures.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wealthy Chakrabarti likely will be able to raise enough money \u2014 and self-fund \u2014 to keep pace with any challenger, but faces an uphill climb in increasing his name recognition enough to be competitive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connie Chan <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chan has represented<\/a> San Francisco\u2019s Richmond District on the Board of Supervisors since 2021. A progressive who is closely aligned with some of the city\u2019s most powerful labor unions, Chan has led the board\u2019s budget committee<\/a> since 2023, a role that\u2019s put her at the center of the city\u2019s efforts to close massive deficits caused by the pandemic downturn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chan has not publicly stated any intention to run for Pelosi\u2019s seat. She declined to speculate about her future when she attended Pelosi\u2019s election results watch party Tuesday for Prop 50. In a statement after Pelosi announced her retirement plans, Chan said Thursday was \u201cabout honoring Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But former Supervisor Aaron Peskin, a Chan ally who employed her early in her career, said Chan had told him in recent weeks that she would give a congressional campaign \u201cserious consideration\u201d if Pelosi retired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSupervisor Chan would be formidable,\u201d Peskin said, noting her \u201cbreadth of experience\u201d and the fact that her candidacy would continue the city\u2019s tradition of representation by a woman in Congress. He said Chan\u2019s ascent would be \u201can incredible thing\u201d for Asian American residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chan was born in Hong Kong, moved to San Francisco at 13, and was raised by her mother in a rent-controlled apartment in Chinatown. She worked for then-District Attorney Kamala Harris and for two city supervisors, a state Assembly member, the city parks department and City College of San Francisco. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chan could get a big boost if she secures Pelosi\u2019s endorsement and backing from labor unions. She also knows what it\u2019s like to prevail in a close race: She won her first supervisor campaign in 2020 by just 125 votes. She was reelected in November<\/a> by a 1,300-vote margin \u2014 with support<\/a> from Pelosi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov 6, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Garofoli<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior Political Writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Garofoli is the San Francisco Chronicle\u2019s senior political writer, covering national and state politics. He has worked at The Chronicle since 2000 and in Bay Area journalism since 1992, when he left the Milwaukee Journal. He is the host of \u201cIt\u2019s All Political,\u201d The Chronicle\u2019s political podcast. Catch it here: bit.ly\/2LSAUjA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has won numerous awards and covered everything from fashion to the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings to two Olympic Games to his own vasectomy \u2014 which he discussed on NPR\u2019s \u201cTalk of the Nation\u201d after being told he couldn\u2019t say the word \u201cballs\u201d on the air. He regularly appears on Bay Area radio and TV talking politics and is available to entertain at bar mitzvahs and First Communions. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a proud native of Pittsburgh. Go Steelers!<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

J.D. Morris<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

City Hall Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

J.D. Morris covers San Francisco City Hall, focused on Mayor Daniel Lurie. He joined the Chronicle in 2018 to cover energy and spent three years writing mostly about PG&E and California wildfires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before coming to the Chronicle, he reported on local government for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, where he was among the journalists awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the 2017 North Bay wildfires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was previously the casino industry reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. Raised in Monterey County and Bakersfield, he has a bachelor\u2019s degree in rhetoric from UC Berkeley.<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dustin Gardiner<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dustin Gardiner is a state Capitol reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, with a special emphasis on covering policies related to the housing crisis, climate change, social inequities and LGBTQ rights. He joined the staff in 2019, after nearly a decade with The Arizona Republic, where he covered state and city politics. Dustin\u2019s awards include first place honors for daily Capitol beat coverage from the Sacramento Press Club in 2023, and the \u201cstory of the year\u201d award from the Arizona Newspapers Association in 2017. Outside of work, he enjoys running, camping, reading fiction and exploring Northern California. Dustin is a member of NLGJA, the association of LGBTQ journalists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Joe Garofoli,\u00a0J.D. Morris,\u00a0Dustin Gardiner, Staff Writers Nov 6, 2025 Gift Article The contest to replace Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi had begun before she announced her decision to retire Thursday. Now it\u2019s likely to intensify quickly, becoming one of the highest-profile battles heading into the critical 2026 midterm election. The House… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44934"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44934"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44936,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44934\/revisions\/44936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}