Scott Wiener Leads in Race to Succeed Nancy Pelosi

In a competitive primary, Sen. Scott Wiener from San Francisco has emerged as the frontrunner to replace retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi. According to first-round results released on Tuesday evening, Wiener secured 43.4% of the votes. He was followed by Connie Chung, Pelosi’s endorsed candidate, with 28.5%, and tech entrepreneur Saikat Chakrabarti, who garnered 13.5%.

“The people of San Francisco have sent a very clear message… San Franciscans are ready for bold, positive leadership for real results,” Wiener expressed during his election night gathering near the Castro District.

The top two candidates will move forward to the general election in November, meaning Chan and Chakrabarti will now vie directly against Wiener.

Wiener has been representing San Francisco in the state Senate since 2016 and has a history with the city’s Board of Supervisors, where his focus on housing, transportation, and LGBTQ rights earned him a dedicated base of supporters.

Known as “Giraffe” due to his towering 6-foot-7-inch height, Wiener is regarded as a key figure in the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) movement, which promotes rapid housing development.

Reportedly, Wiener angered Pelosi when he hinted he might run for her seat prior to her announcement of retirement. Pelosi, who has served for nearly four decades in Congress, is stepping down at the end of her current term. Just days before the primary, she publicly endorsed Chan, even participating in an advertisement for him, proclaiming the need for congressional leaders ready to advocate for fundamental freedoms and democratic values amid current challenges.

Pelosi, however, was critical of Wiener’s reputation and expressed skepticism regarding Chakrabarti, a 40-year-old Harvard graduate who invested $10 million of his own funds into his campaign. “I’ve never seen him in our community. I have no idea who he is,” she reflected in a radio interview.

Chakrabarti, known for his previous work with Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, faced embarrassment when he did not receive an endorsement from the popular congresswoman.

Although the Democratic Party has openly contested the Trump administration, the upcoming general election is likely to shift focus back to local issues. San Francisco has seen significant rent increases, with one-bedroom apartments averaging $4,000 a month. Meanwhile, a recent University of California, Berkeley study predicted it could take around 124 years to address the city’s housing crisis.

On another front, the Republican-led Legislature is challenging San Francisco over its sanctuary city policy, which limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. This scrutiny intensified with a letter from the House Judiciary Committee urging local police and sheriff’s departments in San Francisco and San Diego to provide records as the Trump administration escalates its efforts against sanctuary cities.