Nancy Pelosi Officially Endorses Supervisor Connie Chan to Succeed Her in Congress

Former House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi has officially entered the race to determine her successor, endorsing San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to fill her long-held seat in Congress. The formal announcement comes after weeks of subtle signaling from Pelosi and arrives just two weeks before California's primary election.

In a campaign video scheduled for public release on Tuesday morning, Pelosi strongly praised Chan's deep roots in the community and her readiness to represent the city. Pelosi stated that Chan thoroughly understands San Francisco's core values, its diversity, and its unique responsibility to lead with a balance of compassion and strength, concluding the video with one of her trademark political phrases focused on advocating for children.

The endorsement provides a major boost to Chan's campaign ahead of the critical primary election, which operates under California's top-two system, advancing the highest two vote-getters to the general election in November regardless of political party. Pelosi has represented California’s 11th Congressional District—which almost entirely encompasses the city of San Francisco—since first winning a special election in 1987.

The race to replace the progressive icon has become a prominent reflection of national Democratic divisions. Candidates are currently debating local and national issues including housing affordability, regional economic recovery, technology regulations surrounding artificial intelligence, and international foreign policy.

Chan, who currently represents District 1 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, faces a competitive field of candidates. The ballot includes State Senator Scott Wiener, self-funding technology entrepreneur Saikat Chakrabarti, and local community activist Marie Hurabiell. At a recent campaign forum, Chan joked about the high stakes of the race, noting that her biggest hurdle if elected would simply be trying to fill the shoes of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.

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