Scott Wiener advances in race for Pelosi's open House seat

Scott Wiener moved within reach of the House seat Nancy Pelosi is leaving behind, advancing in the race for California’s 11th Congressional District and turning the contest into a referendum on who can inherit San Francisco’s dominant Democratic coalition.

The district, which sits entirely inside San Francisco and includes most neighborhoods except the Excelsior District, Ocean View, Portola and Visitacion Valley, is headed toward its first open House race since 1987. Pelosi announced late last year that she would retire after nearly four decades in Congress, ending an era that has defined the city’s political map and its power in Washington.

Under California’s top-two primary system, the two highest vote-getters advance to the Nov. 3 general election regardless of party. That structure has kept the field fluid even in a heavily Democratic city, where the ballot also included several lower-profile candidates, two Republicans and one candidate with no party preference. County elections officials must report final official results by July 3, and the Secretary of State will certify them on July 10.

Wiener entered the race as the front-runner, backed by years of name recognition in San Francisco city and state politics and polling that had already placed him ahead of the field. His campaign raised almost $4 million, most of it from individual donors, a total that put him behind Saikat Chakrabarti’s war chest but well ahead of San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan’s effort.

Chakrabarti poured nearly $10 million of his own money into the race, while outside spending opposing him was the largest in the contest as of May 26. Chan raised less than $1 million, but she had one of the most important endorsements in the race: Pelosi backed her in the final weeks, saying Chan was the person best prepared to carry forward the fight for San Francisco in Congress.

The lingering question now is whether Wiener’s advance reflects consolidation inside the city’s Democratic establishment or a more fragile coalition split between the progressive and moderate wings that have shaped San Francisco politics for years. With Pelosi off the ballot for the first time in a generation, the race is no longer only about succession. It is about which faction can claim her legacy and carry it into the next decade in Sacramento and Washington.