California state Senator Scott Wiener, a leading advocate for transgender rights who has supported legislation allowing transgender inmates to seek placement in women’s prisons and transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports, has won Nancy Pelosi’s former congressional seat in San Francisco.
Wiener, 56, defeated San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan in the contest for California’s 11th Congressional District. Chan conceded Wednesday despite having Pelosi, the former speaker emerita, as her high-profile endorser.
The Democrat’s victory makes him the first openly LGBTQ representative elected to Congress from San Francisco and ends Pelosi’s nearly 40-year tenure representing the district.
According to The Associated Press, Wiener held 55 percent of the vote to Chan’s 44 percent with roughly 57 percent of ballots counted.
The win comes six years after Wiener authored Senate Bill 132, a controversial California measure allowing transgender, nonbinary and intersex inmates to request housing in correctional facilities aligned with their gender identity.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill in September 2020, and it took effect the following January.
Wiener has also consistently defended transgender participation in sports, arguing that transgender women should be allowed to compete alongside other female athletes.
The question has become a major flashpoint in national politics. Advocates of inclusion say restrictions discriminate against transgender athletes, while opponents cite concerns about competitive fairness and potential physical advantages in women’s sports.
California state Senator Scott Wiener has captured Nancy Pelosi’s former congressional seat in San Francisco
Wiener, 56, defeated San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan after she conceded in the race for California’s 11th Congressional District
Wiener led Chan 55 percent to 44 percent with approximately 57 percent of the vote counted
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Over his legislative career, Wiener has written more than 100 bills that became California law. They include protections for access to gender-affirming care for transgender minors and families who travel to the state from elsewhere.
His campaign centered on housing costs, public transit, healthcare and opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration.
The campaign also drew criticism after Wiener introduced an artificial-intelligence chatbot that parodied Chan and promoted it through billboard advertisements.
Five days after the chatbot went live, Wiener’s campaign reversed course, saying it would remove both the website and the billboards advertising it.
Wiener said ConnieChan.ai was designed as satire and intended to draw attention to Chan’s positions and record on housing, public transportation and other issues.
In an August statement to Our News Outlet, Wiener’s campaign said the controversy had shifted attention away from the priorities it wanted to discuss, including affordable housing and healthcare, reliable transit, effective schools and the revitalization of downtown San Francisco.
Pelosi and other Democratic women criticized the strategy in a letter, describing it as an inappropriate use of technology aimed at a woman of color.
Pelosi endorsed Chan in May, citing the supervisor’s work on healthcare, education and labor issues.
Even with Pelosi’s support, Chan said Wednesday that the remaining ballots could not deliver her a victory.
‘After reviewing the results and the ballots remaining to be counted, while we expect the margin to narrow significantly, we do not have a clear path to victory,’ she said.
