Nancy Pelosi retirement begins race to fill Democratic titan’s shoes
Nancy Pelosi’s declaration that she will retire from her San Francisco-based House seat after decades in Congress has triggered a competitive Democratic primary in California’s unique “jungle” election system, where the top two vote-getters advance regardless of party. Pelosi, a powerful figure and former Speaker of the House, served as 1987 and has been a significant force in U.S. politics. Her departure marks a shift amid a trend of older establishment Democrats stepping down as younger, progressive candidates challenge them.
Several candidates have already entered the race, notably State Senator Scott Wiener, a centrist known for his housing and pro-LGBTQ advocacy; Saikat Chakrabarti, a progressive activist and former aide to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, a progressive with strong labor union ties and significant local support, though she has yet to declare her candidacy publicly. Pelosi’s daughter, Christine Pelosi, a longtime democratic National Committee member and activist, is also considered a potential contender, bringing name recognition but no previous elected office experience.
The race may be historic, as Wiener could be the first openly gay congressman from San Francisco, while Chakrabarti or Chan could become the district’s first representative of Asian descent.This open seat highlights the evolving dynamics within the Democratic Party, balancing establishment figures and progressive challengers in a district that Pelosi once dominated with a commanding 81% reelection victory.
Welcome to the jungle: Nancy Pelosi retirement sets off race to fill Democratic titan’s shoes
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) retirement will open up her San Francisco-based House seat for the first time in decades, with eyes already turning to state Democrats to see who will jump into the jungle primary to replace the political powerhouse.
Pelosi, who announced her retirement on Thursday, is the latest in a handful of old guard establishment Democrats making their exit in the wake of the 2024 election — especially as younger, progressive candidates are launching primary bids against elder lawmakers.
The Democratic titan entered Congress in 1987 and is in her 20th term. Considered one of the most powerful women in U.S. political history, she steadily rose through the ranks of the House Democratic Caucus after arriving on Capitol Hill and was elected House minority whip in 2001 and became House minority leader a year later. She stepped down as party leader in 2022.
In California, the state holds a so-called “jungle” primary in which everyone is on the ballot. The top two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election. Given Pelosi won reelection in 2024 by 81%, it is likely the top two candidates will be Democrats, offering a rare party vs. party competition.
Two Democrats had already launched bids for her seat prior to Pelosi’s retirement: California state Sen. Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti, former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Others, such as Pelosi’s own daughter and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, are speculated to launch bids, as well.
The race could also be historic for the district. If Wiener wins, he’d be the first openly gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress. If Chakrabarti or Chan wins, either would be the first person of Asian descent to represent the district.
Scott Wiener
Wiener, 55, has represented San Francisco in the state Senate since 2017, making him likely the most well-known candidate in the district.
In March, he had said he would wait to run until after Pelosi retired, and it would “be an honor” to succeed her. But he decided he couldn’t wait any longer, officially launching his bid on Oct. 22, fueling speculation that he knew something most people didn’t: Pelosi would not seek another term.
He’d likely be backed by YIMBYs, a housing movement as well as pro-climate activists, given that he is known for his work on housing in the legislature. But he’s considered a centrist Democrat and has attracted political enemies from both the Right and Progressives, the former due to his pro-LBGT policies and the latter due to his support of centrist leaders such as District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
In a statement on Pelosi’s retirement, Wiener spoke highly of the longtime congresswoman and said she was the “greatest Speaker in United States history.” He noted her work on AIDS during the height of the healthcare crisis.
“When so many others wanted to push LGBTQ people under the rug, Nancy Pelosi fought proudly for us to be treated with dignity,” Wiener said. “In her first remarks on the House floor in 1987, she announced that she had come to Congress to fight AIDS.”
He spoke of his personal experiences, saying in 1987, “a closeted gay teen with a name like a hotdog finally admitted to himself he was gay.”
“It was a terrifying time to come of age as a gay man, and Nancy Pelosi stepped up and used her voice and platform to fight for people like me,” he continued. “I will be eternally grateful to her.”
He received a prominent endorsement from California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday, who served with Wiener in the state legislature. Bonta told Politico that Wiener takes on “big, tough issues” and would be “an incredible congressperson.”
Saikat Chakrabarti
Chakrabarti, 39, is a political activist who made much of his money as a founding engineer of Stripe, a payment processing company. He served as a top campaign aide to progressive “Squad” trailblazer Ocasio-Cortez when she upset then-Rep. Joe Crowley in the primary. He served as her chief of staff and worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) 2016 presidential campaign.
Unlike Wiener, Chakrabarti said last year he would challenge Pelosi and launched his bid in February via a lengthy X post. His campaign launch came after the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency firings and dismantling of several federal agencies shook Washington and the country.
He said that time made it clear that the Democratic Party needs new leadership and the current leaders are “so paralyzed and unprepared for this moment.” He also said that he disapproved of Pelosi’s decision to whip against Ocasio-Cortez’s bid for the House Oversight Committee ranking member position.
“I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago,” Chakrabarti said in February. “In an interview with Ezra Klein after Trump’s victory, Pelosi said the Democrats don’t need to change. I disagree.”
In a post on Thursday, Chakrabarti thanked Pelosi for her decades of service that defined a “generation of politics.”
“And for doing something truly rare in Washington: making room for the next one,” Chakrabarti said.
Pelosi’s retirement has sparked speculation about whether more senior lawmakers will follow suit. A handful of lawmakers, including Reps. Jan Schawkowsky (D-IL) and Danny Davis (D-IL) have already opted to retire.
As of the June 30 reporting period, Chakrabarti has $244,051 in cash on hand, according to campaign disclosures. His wealth will help him keep pace with other competitors, but given that he has never held public office, he may face an issue with name recognition, although he has spent the last 10 months engaging with voters.
Connie Chan
Chan, a progressive Democrat, has served on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors representing the city’s Richmond District since 2021. She is closely associated with the city’s powerful labor unions, which would give her a significant boost if she opted to run to succeed Pelosi.
Unlike Wiener and Chakrabarti, Chan has made no public statement about her intentions for 2026 and declined to comment about her political future at Pelosi’s watch party for the Proposition 50 vote held Tuesday, which passed with 63.9% of the vote, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
In a post on Instagram, Chan said Pelosi will always be the “lioness” of San Francisco.
“As a proud San Franciscan and member of the Chinese American community, I know we can always depend on her to have our back, and we will always have her back,” Chan said.
Chan was born in Hong Kong and moved to San Francisco at the age of 13, growing up in Chinatown. She worked for Kamala Harris when she served as district attorney.
Paired with labor union support, she could benefit in the race from her previous campaign victories, winning her first supervisor race in 2020 by just 125 votes, and if she can capture the votes of Asian Americans, who make up over 30% of the city’s population.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Chan for comment.
Christine Pelosi
The speaker emerita’s daughter would certainly capture people’s attention if she entered the race, due to the considerable name recognition she would bring to the contest. Although having never held public office, Christine Pelosi has been a member of the Democratic National Committee since 1996 and has served as an executive committee member of the DNC since 2017.
She is also the co-founder of We Said Enough, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing workplace sexual harassment.
When members of Congress retire, people often look to their children or the children of politicians residing in the district as possible successors. In Arizona, Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, formerly a county supervisor, entered and won the special election to succeed her late father, Raul Grijalva, this year.
When Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) announced his retirement, Democrats considered Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as a possible candidate to run for his seat. The younger Clinton, however, is not running for Nadler’s district, her team told the Washington Examiner.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Christine Pelosi for comment. She told the San Francisco Chronicle that she was “100% focused on passing Prop 50” when asked about her future in politics.
Although Christine Pelosi’s lack of a public office appointment may be a detriment to her campaign when compared to Wiener and Chan, it also keeps her free from being tied to any legislative decisions that could serve as prime targets for ad campaigns.
She could also follow in the footsteps of her mother, who won her 1987 special election, having served as a party leader but never in elected office.
Jane Kim
Californians are also eyeing Jane Kim, who serves as the director of the Working Families Party. Like Chakrabarti, she served on a previous Sanders campaign, but in 2020 as his political director.
In 2022, she told the New York Times that she had not ruled out a bid for Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s seat.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Kim for comment.
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