Scott Wiener Defeats Connie Chan in Pelosi's SF District Race
WHO:
SFGATE - State Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan were the candidates in the race for California’s 11th Congressional District, the seat held by Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
Los Angeles Times - Wiener, 56, is a Democrat from San Francisco, is gay, and will be the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent San Francisco in the House.
Los Angeles Times - Chan is a progressive who immigrated from Hong Kong at age 13, served as a community and legislative aide—including for then-District Attorney Kamala Harris—and was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2020. She has been its budget chair since 2023.
Los Angeles Times - Pelosi endorsed Chan; Wiener was endorsed by the California and local Democratic parties, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, state Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, labor groups including AFSCME, queer organizations, and more than half of San Francisco’s supervisors.
Los Angeles Times - Chan’s endorsers included labor groups, Sen. Adam Schiff, progressive organizations, Willie Brown, and Saikat Chakrabarti, who placed third in the primary.
WHAT:
SFGATE - Chan conceded, saying, “we do not have a clear path to victory,” and congratulated Wiener. San Francisco election figures put Wiener above 55%; The New York Times estimated 57% of votes had been counted.
Los Angeles Times - Chan called Wiener to concede. The Associated Press had not called the race in Wiener’s favor at the time of the article.
Los Angeles Times - Wiener said he would bring the determination he showed in Sacramento to Washington. He listed priorities including building homes, universal health care, clean energy, public transit, high-speed rail, science, education, immigrants, AI, and applying the rule of law to everyone, including the President.
SFGATE - Wiener had pledged support for Medicare for All, AI safety regulations, and building 8 million homes nationwide.
Los Angeles Times - Wiener authored more than 100 laws, including measures on LGBTQ+ rights, net neutrality, prescription drug costs, mental-health parity, greenhouse-gas disclosures, and ending mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug offenses.
WHERE:
SFGATE - The contest was for California’s 11th Congressional District, covering San Francisco.
Los Angeles Times - Wiener’s career included service on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and in the California State Senate.
WHY:
SFGATE - Pelosi endorsed Chan, saying she wanted to bring another woman into the position.
Los Angeles Times - Wiener said San Franciscans voted for results and described the seat as carrying a powerful legacy.
HOW:
SFGATE - Pelosi’s decision not to seek reelection created an open-seat contest; Wiener and Chan advanced from the primary to the general election.
Los Angeles Times - Pelosi’s endorsement of Chan, made before the primary, intensified divisions within the Democratic Party.
(UPDATED November 5, 2026 10:01 UTC)
Scott Wiener won San Francisco’s congressional race, with Connie Chan conceding after trailing above 55%. Wiener will become San Francisco’s first openly LGBTQ+ representative in the House. He has authored more than 100 laws and pledged to prioritize housing, healthcare, and clean energy.