United States of America

Pelosi Backs Chan in Race for Her San Francisco Seat

Is this a bold progressive move or a desperate political gamble?

Published MAY 19

Pelosi Backs Chan in Race for Her San Francisco Seat

Story

Above: Connie Chan participates in a debate for San Francisco's Congressional District 11 seat at the Sydney Goldstein Theater. Image credit: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/Contributor/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

The Facts

Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on Monday in the race to succeed her in California's 11th Congressional District, with the June 2 open primary just 15 days away.
Sfist
The Hill
Polls show state Sen. Scott Wiener leading the race, with Chan and Saikat Chakrabarti — a former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — effectively tied for second place. California's top-two primary system advances both finishers to the November general election regardless of party.
guardian
Politico
Chakrabarti, who has invested more than $4.8 million of his own money into the race, responded to the endorsement by saying his campaign strategy was to "win the votes of people directly" rather than secure establishment backing.
NBC
The Hill
Chan has served on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors since 2021 and chairs its Budget Committee. As of the end of March, her campaign had raised more than $457,000 in contributions, compared to Wiener's $734,000 in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
CBS News
The Hill
Born in Hong Kong, Chan immigrated to San Francisco at the age of 13 and settled in the city's Chinatown neighborhood. If elected, she would be the first Asian American to represent San Francisco in Congress.
guardian
New York Post
Pelosi, 86, has represented San Francisco in Congress since winning a special election in 1987 and is the only woman to have served as House speaker. Political consultants say her endorsement could unlock a deep-pocketed donor network that has not yet been tapped in this race.
Sfist
Daily Caller on X

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Pelosi's endorsement of Connie Chan is a powerful signal that San Francisco needs a proven progressive fighter in Congress. Chan's story — a Chinese immigrant who rose from community organizer to Budget Committee chair — is exactly the kind of leadership the district deserves. With Pelosi's fundraising network and decades of political capital behind her, Chan is the clear choice to carry San Francisco's values forward.

Politico

The Mercury News

Narrative B

Pelosi's endorsement of Chan looks more like a desperate political gamble than a genuine passing of the torch. Chan was trailing badly in polls, and political analysts warned that backing a distant third-place candidate risks marginalizing Pelosi's own legacy. With Scott Wiener commanding nearly 40% support, throwing weight behind Chan reads as establishment politics overriding what San Francisco voters actually want.

Saikat Chakrabarti on X

New York Post