{"id":2574453,"date":"2026-02-27T13:26:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-trump-appointee-enters-race-for-nancy-pelosis-house-seat\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T13:28:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:28:34","slug":"former-trump-appointee-enters-race-for-nancy-pelosis-house-seat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-trump-appointee-enters-race-for-nancy-pelosis-house-seat\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Trump appointee enters race for Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s House seat"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-trump-appointee-enters-race-for-nancy-pelosis-house-seat%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2574453&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former San Francisco nonprofit executive Marie Hurabiell has entered the race to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in California\u2019s 12th congressional district, proposing an outsider, grassroots approach focused on local concerns.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Hurabiell, who leads ConnectedSF, argues the district needs leadership centered on quality-of-life issues such as housing costs, public safety, and civic accountability rather than Washington-centric prestige.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; She positions herself as a pragmatic, reform-minded Democrat and a grassroots alternative in a crowded field that could <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >draw higher-profile donors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Her candidacy follows Pelosi\u2019s retirement, highlighting a rare opening in a longtime Democratic stronghold and a debate over the district\u2019s future direction.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Hurabiell has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-cuomo-aide-reveals-n-y-state-withheld-nursing-home-covid-19-death-data\/\" title=\"Gov. Cuomo aide reveals N.Y. state withheld nursing home COVID...19 death data\">faced public scrutiny<\/a> for past social media posts, including remarks about transgender women and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">critical race theory<\/a>, which sparked protests at a ConnectedSF event.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-challenger-tim-sheehy-aims-to-unseat-sen-jon-tester-in-montana-senate-showdown\/\" title=\"Tim Sheehy, Republican challenger, targets Sen. Jon Tester in Montana Senate ....\">background includes serving<\/a> on the Georgetown University Board of Regents, a presidential appointment to the Presidio Trust Board, two unsuccessful runs for the City College of San Francisco board, and a party switch from Republican to Democrat in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Leading challengers include Saikat Chakrabarti, a former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and state Sen.Scott Wiener, both seeking to capitalize on a national and local push for generational change and broader name recognition.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Hurabiell emphasizes building a campaign around neighborhood activism and local policy advocacy, leveraging her nonprofit network as the backbone of her bid.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The race is viewed less as a pure party contest and more as a test of who best represents San Francisco\u2019s upcoming post-Pelosi era amid ongoing local challenges.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Former Trump appointee enters race for Nancy Pelosi&rsquo;s House seat<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2394347\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/votemarie.com\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/votemarie.com\/\">Marie Hurabiell,<\/a> a San Francisco nonprofit executive and political organizer, is jumping into the race to replace <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nancy-pelosi\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"454\">Rep. Nancy Pelosi<\/a> (D-CA), launching an outsider bid for a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">congressional seat<\/a> shaped by nearly four decades of Democratic power and national influence.<\/p>\n<p>Hurabiell, who leads the advocacy group <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.connectedsf.com\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.connectedsf.com\/\">ConnectedSF<\/a>, announced this week that she will seek the seat long held by Pelosi, arguing the district needs a representative more focused on local frustrations than Washington stature. Her campaign is expected to center on quality-of-life concerns that have increasingly dominated San Francisco politics, including housing costs, public safety, and civic accountability. <\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4474158\/trump-heads-texas-ahead-of-heated-gop-primary-no-plans-endorse\/\">Trump arrives in Texas ahead of heated GOP primary with no plans to endorse<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4460749\/california-governor-elections-republicans-winning-democrats-gavin-newsom\/\">Republicans have a rare shot at winning the California governorship<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4472014\/seth-moulton-ed-markey-massachusetts-senate-election-age-democrats-old\/\">Seth Moulton believes Massachusetts Democrats need a younger senator than Ed Markey<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Big news. Today I&rsquo;m announcing my campaign for Congress to represent San Francisco<\/p>\n<p>I didn&rsquo;t plan to run for office this year&ndash; but San Francisco doesn&rsquo;t need more ideological extremes. We need results and reform<\/p>\n<p>I&rsquo;m running to bring pragmatic, common sense Democratic leadership&hellip; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8PZNLkUWgF\">pic.twitter.com\/8PZNLkUWgF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Marie Hurabiell (@MHurabiell) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MHurabiell\/status\/2026766503853654509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t plan to run for office this year &mdash; but San Francisco doesn&rsquo;t need more ideological extremes. We need results and reform,&rdquo; Hurabiell wrote in her X post. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m running to bring pragmatic, common-sense Democratic leadership to Washington &mdash; focused on safety, innovation, and affordability. I&rsquo;ve stood up to failed policies before. I&rsquo;ll do it again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>ConnectedSF was an early endorser of San Francisco Democratic mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3446522\/daniel-lurie-san-francisco-unions-protest-city-hall\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"3446522\">Daniel Lurie<\/a>, when political experts thought he was too green and didn&rsquo;t have a shot at winning. He returned the favor and has frequently appeared at Hurabiell&rsquo;s events, including a gala where he was the featured speaker. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hurabiell, though described as a rising star, has had her fair share of public missteps. She found herself in hot water after posting on X that &ldquo;Trans women are NOT women&rdquo; and that &ldquo;[Critical race theory] was a tactic used by Hitler and the KKK.&rdquo; Those comments led to a protest outside the ConnectedSF gala in 2025. <\/p>\n<p>Hurabiell was a former member of the Georgetown University Board of Regents and was appointed by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">President Donald Trump<\/a> to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors. She lost two bids for a seat on the City College of San Francisco board of trustees, and in 2022, she switched party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. <\/p>\n<p>Two of her biggest Democratic challengers are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saikat.us\/en\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.saikat.us\/en\">Saikat Chakrabarti<\/a>, a former tech executive who served as chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scottwiener.com\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.scottwiener.com\/\">state Sen. Scott Wiener<\/a>, who mounted their campaigns this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Chakrabarti drew more than 700 people to a rally in San Francisco&rsquo;s Mission District, where he launched his campaign. He has invested more than $700,000 of his money into the race.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Chakrabarti said Democrats are craving a generational change and need a &ldquo;new kind of leader who is not a part of the establishment, because the establishment has failed us.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Wiener, a Harvard-educated attorney who chairs the state Senate Budget Committee, wants to be part of the new class of Democrats. He is known around Sacramento for championing LGBT rights, combating climate change, and pushing for fair housing. Most recently, he made headlines for pushing back on Trump&rsquo;s recommendation to send National Guard troops to San Francisco.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the other contenders with elected experience or deep donor networks, Hurabiell enters the race from the nonprofit and advocacy world, positioning herself as a grassroots alternative in what is expected to become a crowded Democratic contest. Through ConnectedSF, she has worked on civic engagement and local policy advocacy, building ties with neighborhood activists and community groups that could serve as the backbone of her campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Her candidacy underscores the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cuomos-message-for-democrats-fuels-speculation-about-national-ambitions\/\" title=\"Cuomo&#039;s message for Democrats fuels speculation about ... ambitions\">political opening created<\/a> by Pelosi&rsquo;s departure &mdash; a rare moment of uncertainty in one of the country&rsquo;s safest Democratic seats. For decades, the district has been synonymous with Pelosi&rsquo;s brand of establishment Democratic leadership, making the upcoming race less a partisan fight than a battle over what comes next for San Francisco Democrats.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4473312\/nancy-pelosi-political-influence-after-retiring\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4473312\">NANCY PELOSI SAYS SHE WILL STILL HAVE POLITICAL &lsquo;INFLUENCE&rsquo; AFTER RETIRING <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hurabiell is betting voters are ready for a generational and stylistic shift, but she faces an uphill climb in a race likely to draw higher-profile Democrats with stronger fundraising advantages and broader name recognition.<\/p>\n<p>Still, her entry signals that the contest to define the post-Pelosi era is moving beyond party heavyweights and toward a broader fight over who best represents a city wrestling with both progressive ideals and mounting local challenges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marie Hurabiell, a San Francisco nonprofit chief who was once named to a Trump administration post, has jumped into the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi. As head of ConnectedSF, she argues the district needs a representative focused on local concerns rather than Washington prestige. Her bid is framed around everyday issues such as housing costs, safety, and civic accountability.<\/p>\n<p>In a social post, Hurabiell said she hadn\u2019t planned to run this year, but San Francisco doesn\u2019t need more ideological extremes. She pledged pragmatic, common-sense Democratic leadership in Washington, centered on safety, innovation, and affordability, and asserted she has challenged failed policies before and will do so again.<\/p>\n<p>Hurabiell has ties to Daniel Lurie, a prominent San Francisco mayoral hopeful who endorsed ConnectedSF and has spoken at her events. Her own record includes both notoriety and experience: she faced backlash after posts on X about trans women and about critical race theory, which spurred protests at a 2025 ConnectedSF gala. She previously served on the Georgetown University Board of Regents, was appointed by Trump to the Presidio Trust Board, and switched from Republican to Democrat in 2022 after losing two seats on the City College of San Francisco board.<\/p>\n<p>Her principal Democratic rivals are Saikat Chakrabarti, a former tech executive and AOC\u2019s former chief of staff, who has raised substantial funds and drawn large crowds, and state Senator Scott Wiener, who chairs the Budget Committee and is known for LGBT rights, climate action, and housing reform and who opposed Trump\u2019s National Guard idea for SF. Hurabiell positions herself as a grassroots, outsider candidate leveraging her nonprofit network to mobilize neighborhood activists in what could become a crowded contest.<\/p>\n<p>The race arrives as Pelosi\u2019s departure creates an uncommon opening in a reliably Democratic seat, turning the contest into a choice about the city\u2019s direction rather than party loyalty. Pelosi says she will maintain some political influence after retirement. Hurabiell acknowledges a challenging path but argues the electorate may want a generational and stylistic shift as the city weighs progressive ideals against local challenges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2574454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26052698749057.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[4045,6571,3928,5894,3634],"class_list":["post-2574453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-california","tag-elections","tag-pelosi","tag-politics","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26052698749057.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2574453"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2574457,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574453\/revisions\/2574457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2574454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2574453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2574453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2574453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}