California state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan are projected to advance in the top-two “jungle” primary for the state’s 11th congressional district, signaling just how enduring former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hold on the region continues to be.
The outcome pits Wiener, a more moderate candidate, against Chan, a progressive who recently secured Pelosi’s endorsement for a district that the California lawmaker has represented for more than three decades.
Wiener and Chan ultimately edged out progressive political adviser Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who unabashedly challenged the Democratic establishment.
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Wiener, a former San Francisco supervisor, has led in the polls for the race and is known as a policy wonk focused on housing and transit proposals. He’s been criticized, however, for accepting donations from Silicon Valley billionaires and faced scrutiny for the support his candidacy has received from tech-backed groups. He’s also been panned for initially balking at describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.
Chan was elected to the city’s Board of Supervisors in 2020 and has served as its Budget Chair. She’s garnered endorsements from several local labor unions and the California Working Families Party for her support of city workers and advocacy for tenants. However, her housing stances and support for reopening local spaces to cars have drawn pushback.
Chan had previously been in close contention against Chakrabarti for the number two spot in the primary, according to recent polls. Her success highlights the sway that Pelosi, a longtime leader of the party, continues to have, and the degree of backing the supervisor received from establishment progressives in the city.