Nancy Pelosi has at last waded into the race to succeed her in Congress, endorsing San Francisco supervisor Connie Chan as the candidate who, in Pelosi's words, “stands above the rest.” This endorsement came with all the dramatic timing of a slow-motion train arriving at a station: early mail-in ballots are already trickling in ahead of the June 2 primary, but hey, better late than never.
Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of the House, is retiring at the end of her term after nearly 40 years representing San Francisco. In a letter to residents, she warned that “fundamental freedoms and democratic values are under assault” and declared Chan the “leader best prepared to carry forward the fight for San Francisco in the Congress.” In a video released Monday, Pelosi sits next to Chan - a progressive Democrat with ties to local labor unions - against a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, patting her gently on the back like a proud aunt.
Pelosi’s endorsement comes as polling shows Chan locked in a tight contest for one of the top two spots in the June 2 primary, alongside state senator Scott Wiener (known for championing housing production and LGBTQ+ rights) and Saikat Chakrabarti, a former tech executive and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s first chief of staff, who has been a vocal critic of Pelosi and Democratic leadership. Ocasio-Cortez, for her part, has declined to endorse anyone, perhaps waiting for a better offer.
Under California’s primary system, the top two contenders - regardless of party - advance to the November general election. Recent surveys show Chan effectively tied with Chakrabarti for second place, behind Wiener. So Pelosi’s endorsement might just tip the scales, or it might be the political equivalent of handing someone a map after they’ve already started driving.
Pelosi highlighted Chan’s “important lived experience” as a woman, mother, and Asian American immigrant. Chan was born in Hong Kong and immigrated at 13 with her mother and younger brother to San Francisco, where they lived in a one-bedroom Chinatown apartment. If elected, she would be the first Asian American to represent San Francisco in Congress - a milestone that even Pelosi’s 40-year tenure couldn’t achieve.