San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan joins race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress
By Tim Fang
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on Thursday launched her campaign to succeed Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is set to retire after nearly four decades in Congress.
First elected to the board in 2020, Chan represents District 1, covering the Richmond District, Sea Cliff, Presidio Terrace and other neighborhoods in the northwestern part of the city. Chan has also served as the chair of the Board of Supervisors Budget Committee since 2023.
The supervisor paid homage to Pelosi in a statement announcing her campaign.
“I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me and fought for the same values,” Chan said. “Now I need to stand up to fight for other families who are under attack, who are worried about paying the bills and who need an advocate in Congress. I’m ready to fight for all of us.”
Born in Hong Kong, Chan moved to San Francisco at the age of 13 with her mother and younger brother, eventually obtaining a rent-controlled apartment in the city’s Chinatown. She is a graduate of Galileo High School in the city and the University of California, Davis.
Chan’s political career began in 2006, when she was recruited by then-Supervisor Sophie Maxwell as a legislative aide, working to shut down the Potrero Power Plant. She then served as a public safety and communications aide and liaison to the AAPI community for Kamala Harris, who was District Attorney at the time.
Chan has also served as a legislative aide to then-Supervisor Aaron Peskin and a representative of then-Assemblymember Kevin Mullin.
Two other candidates so far have announced campaigns for Pelosi’s seat including State Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Saikat Chakrabarti, a former tech executive the former chief of staff of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Meanwhile, former San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday that she would not run for the seat.
In a video announcing her campaign, Chan said she was not a “corporate Democrat” and did not make money in tech.
“This election is about local neighborhoods versus outside money,” Chan said. “I’m a working mom — I make lunch for my kid.”
If elected, Chan would be the first Asian American to represent San Francisco in Congress.
Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House and a fixture in the Democratic Party for decades, announced on Nov. 6 that she will retire from Congress after her term ends. The 85-year-old was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1987.
