Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s highly anticipated endorsement in the race to fill her shoes after an impressive four-decade tenure in Congress has stirred strong emotions among San Franciscans across the political spectrum.
On Monday, Pelosi officially threw her support behind San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, choosing the candidate with strong labor ties over state Sen. Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti, a progressive multimillionaire.
“I know this district, I know the Congress, and I know Connie,” Pelosi expressed in a brief campaign video that accompanied her endorsement. “I’m proud to endorse Connie Chan, and I ask you to join me in electing her to Congress.”
However, reactions to Pelosi’s endorsement have raised questions about whether the 86-year-old truly understands the current pulse of her city. The announcement swiftly ignited a flurry of debate regarding San Francisco’s future.
This endorsement has laid bare the underlying tensions among moderates, housing advocates, tech industry leaders, and even some far-left progressives. Many view Pelosi as a symbol of the city’s entrenched political establishment, and her choice has only intensified these sentiments.
The endorsement quickly sparked a war of words over San Francisco’s future — exposing simmering anger from moderates, housing activists, tech leaders and even far-left progressives who view Pelosi as the embodiment of the city’s political establishment.
“WTF. Pelosi endorsed Connie Chan, a progressive supervisor in SF who opposed the Chesa Boudin recall, blocked every form of housing, and voted against streamlining permits and cutting red tape,” investor Sheel Mohnot posted on X. “The opposite of an abundance candidate.”
Daniel Owens, a pro-housing activist in the city, blasted Pelosi as out of touch with San Francisco’s needs.
“Pelosi isn’t pro-housing. She doesn’t even understand local SF issues on a deep level,” Owens wrote on X.
“She’s been disconnected from SF culture for decades. She relies on a small inner circle here, while almost entirely focused on national DC politics.”
Pelosi curiously waited until just weeks before the June 2 primary election to publicly choose a successor after months of staying neutral in the race. The former House speaker, who has represented San Francisco in Congress for nearly 40 years, announced last year she would retire when her term expires in January 2027.
The endorsement led others to speculate that the decision to back Chan had less to do with ideology than long-standing friction with Wiener, who’s built a national reputation championing aggressive pro-housing and LGBTQ+ laws in Sacramento.
“The theory is she’s mad that Scott blocked [Pelosi’s] daughter out from running,” tech investor Kim-Mai Cutler posted on X.
The post was in reference to Christine Pelosi’s decision to seek Wiener’s seat in the state Senate after he announced an exploratory committee in 2023 for the former House speaker’s seat in Congress.
Pelosi’s endorsement also sparked criticism accusing Chan of cloaking progressive politics in identity politics.
“Our community needs to care more about the policies that affect Asians and less about the color of people’s skin,” Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, posted on X.
“SF has produced an unusual kind of grifty Asian American politician that virtue signals by hurting our community like Connie Chan,” he added. “This must stop.”
Chakrabarti — who was notably snubbed for the endorsement of his old boss, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, despite obsessively mentioning her throughout the race — dismissed Pelosi’s blessing of Chan, arguing voters would ultimately reject establishment politics.
“That’s how we’re going to win this thing, not because of corporate PACs or establishment endorsements but through the support of San Franciscans,” he said.
Polling shows Chan and Chakrabarti in a neck-and-neck tie for second with around 20% of the vote, while Wiener has a firm grip on first place with roughly 40% support.
The primary vote is set for June 2.
