Nancy Pelosi has ended months of public silence about her replacement, throwing her political weight behind San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Connie Chan in the race to inherit her congressional seat. The endorsement comes as voters prepare to head to the polls in two weeks to narrow the field to the top two candidates for November's general election.
Pelosi, 86, announced in November that she would not seek re-election after representing the district for nearly 40 years. When asked then whether she planned to endorse a successor, she told NBC News it "isn't my current plan." That calculation has shifted. In a video released Monday, the former House speaker sat alongside Chan with the Golden Gate Bridge framing the shot behind them. "I know and love this district. I know the Congress, and I know Connie," Pelosi said. "I'm proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress."
The timing and substance of Pelosi's backing carry outsized consequence in a competitive primary. As the first female speaker of the House and a party fundraising powerhouse, she remains a defining figure in Democratic politics. Chan stands to benefit directly from her network, and the endorsement signals to moderate and establishment-aligned voters which candidate Pelosi believes best represents the district's values.
Chan, 47, was born in Hong Kong and arrived in San Francisco at age 13 without English language skills. She worked as a volunteer Chinese interpreter and community organizer before becoming a legislative aide to a Board of Supervisors member in 2006. She later held roles in the San Francisco district attorney's office under Kamala Harris. Chan has served on the Board of Supervisors since 2021 and chairs its Budget Committee. She waited for Pelosi's retirement announcement before entering the race herself.
"I remember seeing San Francisco for the first time when I was 13 years old. I did not speak a word of English but I had heard this was a sanctuary city where anything was possible," Chan said in a statement. "Today, to be endorsed by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi to follow her in Congress,I know that is true."
Two high-profile candidates had already entered the field before Chan announced her bid. State Senator Scott Weiner and wealthy former tech executive Saikat Chakrabarti, a co-founder of the progressive group Justice Democrats, have both positioned themselves as alternatives to the Pelosi establishment. Early speculation that Pelosi's daughter Christine might seek her mother's seat evaporated when Christine Pelosi announced instead that she would run for Weiner's state Senate position.
Chakrabarti directly rejected the significance of Pelosi's endorsement, posting on X that he "decided to run for Congress last year against Nancy Pelosi" because the country needs "a new generation of leadership." He argued his campaign strategy relies on grassroots voter contact, not establishment backing. "People aren't showing up just because of me. They're showing up because they are sick and tired of a broken status quo and believe a better future is possible," Chakrabarti wrote.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Pelosi's endorsement reads as validation that Chan represents the mainstream progressive wing, not a rebuke of it, which gives her real advantage in a district where most Democrats lean left."
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