In race for Pelosi's seat, her famed political influence was a factor but just one
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Even on her way out, Rep.Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) — 86 and retiring — held sway.Last month, in the final stretch of the race to replace her, Pelosi endorsed Connie Chan, a member of the San Francisco board of supervisors and a candidate who had until then struggled to gain traction.
The move clearly had an effect, with Chan advancing out of Tuesday’s primary to the general election in November, according to the Associated Press.Political observers were quick to note that Pelosi’s famed political influence was alive and well, as made clear as of Wednesday morning by Chan’s bounding past the third-place finisher, tech millionaire and Democratic political operative Saikat Chakrabarti, who self-funded his campaign to the tune of nearly $10 million.But cast another way, the race’s early results also showed the limits of Pelosi’s influence — in the form of state Sen.Scott Wiener, who as of Wednesday morning was clearly the race’s front-runner, holding a double-digit lead over both Chan and Chakrabarti.
California Follow live updates, analysis and highlights from 2026 election day’s key races, such as California governor, Los Angeles mayor, L.A.city council and more.Wiener — an ambitious and prolific state lawmaker with a strong base in San Francisco, particularly in the liberal bastion’s LGBTQ+ community — has long eyed the seat but held off from running for years in deference to Pelosi, a trailblazing politician and one of the most powerful of her generation.
She was the first woman ever elected House Speaker in 2007 and oversaw both of President Trump’s first-term impeachments.However, that changed in late October, when Wiener, 56, announced he couldn’t wait any longer and would be running this year.His announcement came before Pelosi had announced her own plans, amid broader party backlash against gerontocracy and elderly incumbents holding on w...