Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s long-awaited endorsement within the race to succeed her after 4 a long time in Congress has enraged San Franciscans on either side of the town’s deep-blue political spectrum.
Pelosi formally backed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on Monday, selecting the labor-aligned candidate over state Sen. Scott Wiener and progressive multimillionaire Saikat Chakrabarti.
“I do know this district, I do know the Congress, and I do know Connie,” Pelosi stated in a brief marketing campaign video launched alongside the endorsement.
“I’m proud to endorse Connie Chan, and I ask you to affix me in electing her to Congress.”
Reactions to Pelosi’s endorsement steered the 86-year-old might not know her metropolis in addition to she thinks.
The endorsement rapidly sparked a confrontation over San Francisco’s future — exposing simmering anger from moderates, housing activists, tech leaders and even far-left progressives who view Pelosi because the embodiment of the town’s political institution.
“WTF. Pelosi endorsed Connie Chan, a progressive supervisor in SF who opposed the Chesa Boudin recall, blocked each type of housing, and voted towards streamlining permits and chopping pink tape,” investor Sheel Mohnot posted on X. “The other of an abundance candidate.”
Daniel Owens, a pro-housing activist within the metropolis, blasted Pelosi as out of contact with San Francisco’s wants.
“Pelosi isn’t pro-housing. She doesn’t even perceive native SF points on a deep degree,” Owens wrote on X.
“She’s been disconnected from SF tradition for many years. She depends on a small inside circle right here, whereas nearly completely targeted on nationwide DC politics.”
Pelosi curiously waited till simply weeks earlier than the June 2 major election to publicly select a successor after months of staying impartial within the race. The previous Home speaker, who has represented San Francisco in Congress for practically 40 years, introduced final 12 months she would retire when her time period expires in January 2027.
The endorsement led others to invest that the choice to again Chan had much less to do with ideology than long-standing friction with Wiener, who’s constructed a nationwide popularity championing aggressive pro-housing and LGBTQ+ legal guidelines in Sacramento.
“The speculation is she’s mad that Scott blocked [Pelosi’s] daughter out from operating,” tech investor Kim-Mai Cutler posted on X.
The publish was in reference to Christine Pelosi’s resolution to hunt Wiener’s seat within the state Senate after he introduced an exploratory committee in 2023 for the previous Home speaker’s seat in Congress.
Pelosi’s endorsement additionally sparked criticism accusing Chan of cloaking progressive politics in id politics.
“Our group must care extra in regards to the insurance policies that have an effect on Asians and fewer in regards to the coloration of individuals’s pores and skin,” Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, posted on X.
“SF has produced an uncommon form of grifty Asian American politician that advantage alerts by hurting our group like Connie Chan,” he added. “This should cease.”
Chakrabarti — who was notably snubbed for the endorsement of his outdated boss, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, regardless of obsessively mentioning her all through the race — dismissed Pelosi’s blessing of Chan, arguing voters would in the end reject institution politics.
“That’s how we’re going to win this factor, not due to company PACs or institution endorsements however via the help of San Franciscans,” he stated.
Polling exhibits Chan and Chakrabarti in a neck-and-neck tie for second with round 20% of the vote, whereas Wiener has a agency grip on first place with roughly 40% help.
The first vote is ready for June 2.
