Who could replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress? These are the leading contenders

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — While not entirely unexpected, the news Thursday that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will retire at the end of her current term sent shockwaves through the political sphere. Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987 and has represented San Francisco for nearly four decades.

Her trailblazing tenure as the first woman to become Speaker of the House has seen her play a key role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act and become a leader on the international stage. Even at 85, she played a pivotal role in this week’s passage of Proposition 50, a redistricting initiative that could lay the ground for Democrats recapturing the House of Representatives next year.

While California’s 11th congressional district, which includes all but a handful of San Francisco neighborhoods, holds no particular power, Pelosi leveraged her office as a platform to become one of the most powerful women in American politics.

With her impending retirement, there is now the looming question of who will replace Pelosi as the 11th district’s representative. While only two candidates have officially declared themselves in the running, there are a handful of possible contenders.

Scott Wiener

Long-standing State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced last month that he was running for Pelosi’s seat. Wiener, who arguably has better name recognition than anyone else currently in the running, has represented SF in the state senate since 2016. The 55-year-old Democrat is known as a champion of LGBTQ+ rights and would be the first openly gay official to represent San Francisco in Congress.

Wiener has also been an advocate for public transit funding increasing housing in the city. An outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, Wiener authored a bill banning ICE agents from wearing masks in California that was recently signed into law.

Following Pelosi’s announcement that she would not seek reelection Thursday, Wiener picked up one high-profile endorsement from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Saikat Chakrabarti

Apart from Wiener, Saikat Chakrabarti is the only other candidate officially in the running for Pelosi’s seat. A wealthy 39-year-old tech entrepreneur, Chakrabarti served as a campaign aid for progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York). While he has never held office before and might not get the mainstream media coverage Wiener does, Chakrabarti has huge followings on TikTok and Instagram.

If the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor is to be seen as any kind of bellwether, Chakrabarti’s youth and progressive bona fides could see him resonate with the city’s younger and more left-leaning voters.

Christine Pelosi

While she has not officially declared herself in the running, Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s daughter, Christine Pelosi has long been regarded as a possible successor to her mother. An attorney, author and Democratic Party strategist, the younger Pelosi has never held elected office. However, she has name recognition and presumably, access to the same Democratic donor network wielded by her powerhouse fundraising mother.

At 59, she would be the oldest among the possible candidates, which combined with her last name, could be an obstacle among voters looking to turn the generational page on one of the oldest, and longest-serving members of Congress.

Supervisor Connie Chan

San Francisco District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan is another undeclared candidate around whom speculation is swirling. A former aide to then San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala Harris, Chan was first elected to the SF Board of Supervisors in 2020 and reelected in 2024.

Chan also has a compelling personal story. The progressive-leaning Chan was born in Hong Kong, moved to San Francisco at age 13, and was raised by her mother in a rent-controlled apartment in Chinatown. An opponent of the controversial measure to ban cars on SF’s Great Highway that saw fellow Supervisor Joel Engardio recalled, Chan has also backed a 2026 ballot measure to revisit the ban.

Pelosi has not endorsed any potential successor at this time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.