Chronicle endorses Wiener to succeed Pelosi in Congress

The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board has thrown its weight behind State Sen. Scott Wiener in the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi, turning the city’s first open House seat since 1987 into an even clearer test of who can inherit San Francisco’s political machinery, donor network and governing style.

In its May 11 endorsement package for the June 2 California primary, the board said it spent months interviewing candidates, talking to experts, fact-checking campaign promises and scrutinizing the issues. The timing matters. Pelosi announced on Nov. 6, 2025 that she would retire at the end of her current term, which runs through Jan. 3, 2027, and the contest has become the defining power scramble in California’s 11th Congressional District.

The Chronicle framed Wiener as the candidate best able to fill Pelosi’s shoes, citing his legislative record, his familiarity with existing political systems and the scale of his campaign operation. As of April 21, Wiener had $2.6 million cash on hand. Saikat Chakrabarti had raised $5.2 million and spent $5 million, while Connie Chan reported $156,606 in cash on hand, underscoring how sharply the race has already sorted into tiers of money and organizational strength.

That financial edge has been matched by institutional backing. Wiener won the California Democratic Party’s endorsement after a lopsided pre-endorsement vote of 117 of 151 delegates at the party’s Feb. 20-22 convention in San Francisco, putting him on the consent calendar before the endorsement was later approved. Even with that momentum, the race has not lined up neatly behind him. SEIU California withdrew its endorsement of Wiener in April, a reminder that labor and progressive circles are not moving in lockstep.

Pelosi has also kept the field unsettled. She has not publicly endorsed anyone and has been more closely associated with Chan, including offering her soft praise and attending a Chan fundraiser. That silence leaves room for rival factions to argue that the speaker emerita’s political inheritance is still up for grabs.

The Chronicle’s backing reinforces Wiener’s position as the establishment favorite in a top-two primary that Ballotpedia says includes eight Democrats, two Republicans and one independent. The three leading Democrats largely agree on policy, but the fight has hardened around style and experience: Wiener’s record inside government versus Chakrabarti’s call for more radical change. With the June 2 primary approaching and a Nov. 3 general election still ahead, the endorsement is less a coronation than a signal to donors, elected officials and undecided voters that the race’s most traditional power lane now runs through Wiener.