Christine Pelosi Launches California Senate Campaign
Christine Pelosi kicked off her campaign for the California Senate on Monday. She’s vying for the seat currently held by Sen. Scott Wiener, who is stepping down to pursue a position in the House of Representatives.
The daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Christine formally announced her candidacy and shared a campaign video that outlines her platform and political identity. Scott Wiener is running for Congress in California’s 11th District, making this seat available.
In her announcement, Christine, a Democratic strategist, emphasized her background as a lawyer, author, and chair of the California Democratic Women’s Caucus. She expressed her intent to represent San Francisco in Sacramento, stating her goals to advocate for consumer rights, women’s rights, victims of gun violence, immigrants, and vulnerable communities. “When our freedoms are under attack, we must speak up, fight back, and organize power for the people,” she declared.
On social media, she wrote, “In the courts, on the campaign trail, and in the corridors of power, I’ve fought to build power for the people. That’s why I’m running for the California Senate.”
Christine has garnered attention for her bold comments online. In 2014, she shared a graphic that swapped out the Gadsden flag—often used by Tea Party supporters of Obamacare—for a version depicting a coiled snake transformed into a stethoscope, alongside the phrase “Don’t tread on my Obamacare.” Critics called this move desperate, pointing out the irony in its connection to a symbol previously associated with the Confederate flag.
In July 2019, she mentioned on Twitter that “some of our favorite people” might be implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein case, stressing the need to hold accountable whoever is involved, regardless of party lines.
That month, however, she faced backlash after posting a tweet containing a quote inaccurately attributed to Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta about the Epstein situation. This quote originated from a fake satirical post and drew criticism for spreading misinformation during heightened scrutiny over Epstein’s plea deals.
In March 2020, she temporarily left Twitter. She deleted her account and erased a tweet stating “Rand Paul’s neighbor was right,” which violated the platform’s policy on glorifying violence. This reference came amid news that the senator had tested positive for COVID-19 and recalled a 2017 incident where he was physically assaulted.
Christine criticized an image published by the New York Times that accompanied an editorial questioning whether the Speaker of the House should maintain a place in the presidential succession line. The photo depicted only her mother’s calves and high heels, which Christine labeled as “misogynistic,” arguing it represented daily sexism and diminished the representation of women in leadership roles.
Scott Wiener, in his Congressional campaign, has framed his opposition to what he describes as America’s “slide into fascism.” As a state senator, he authored SB 357, which decriminalized loitering for prostitution, a move later linked to an uptick in child sex trafficking in Los Angeles. Additionally, he promoted legislation aimed at protecting minors seeking gender reassignment, as well as reducing penalties for certain same-sex statutory rape cases.
He also sponsored measures that would exempt high-rise residential buildings near transit from zoning laws, and legislation ensuring that ICE officers are not disguised, facilitating their public identification.
