San Franciscans Bid Farewell to Pelosi, Never a Stranger to Her City

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s love for San Francisco was evident in the iconic images of streetcars, the Golden Gate Bridge and the city’s vibrant neighborhoods that made up her retirement video on Thursday morning — a kind of love letter to her district.

Unlike some members of Congress, Pelosi came back from Washington regularly, often appearing at San Francisco ribbon cuttings, town hall meetings and rallies. She was never a stranger to those she represented.

Mayor Daniel Lurie called Pelosi “one of the city’s great leaders” as he spoke at an event in the Sunset District on Thursday.

“In college, I had the opportunity to intern for Speaker Emerita Pelosi,” Lurie said. “I’ve been fortunate to benefit from her mentorship and guidance, and she has played a similar role for generations of leaders in our city.”

Outside a coffee shop on Castro Street, Twin Peaks resident Peter Sichel reflected on Pelosi’s legacy.

“I know that she’s not 20,” he said. “She’s had a very successful career.”

Sichel said he got to know Pelosi personally during his four decades living in San Francisco and described her as confident and approachable.

“It’s another story when you interact with someone on a personal level, and I think she has great integrity and I felt I was treated with a great deal of respect,” he said.

In the Mission District, Norma Sanchez was still in shock over the news of Pelosi’s retirement as she took her dog on a morning walk through Franklin Square.

“I was so sad. I don’t know why she’s retiring,” Sanchez said. “She is still working like she’s young; she can still do it.”

Others said retirement was the right move for Pelosi, who at 85 is among the oldest members of Congress.

“I think in general we’re seeing a theme of a new guard coming in for the Democratic Party,” said Aneil Marathi, a resident of the Mission who moved to the city a year ago. “I think this is one of the better things that she’s done — recognizing where the tide is going.”

When Pelosi was elected in 1987, her district was being ravaged by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Her first speech on the House floor called on Congress to do more, and she set about increasing federal funding to fight the disease.

“She promoted legislation, funding, and programs for prevention, research, cure, and medical interventions to save lives,” the San Francisco AIDS Foundation wrote in a statement. “No single member has been more relentless or more fearless in the face of HIV.”

In a conversation with KQED’s Political Breakdown last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom, San Francisco’s former mayor, said Pelosi’s impact cannot be overstated and will not easily be replaced.

“You can never take that for granted,” Newsom said, adding, “it will take 40, 50 years for someone to build the kind of credibility that she’s built and the influence and the capacity to deliver that.”

But some will try.

Open congressional seats are highly prized and don’t come up very often, so when they do, they often attract a large field of ambitious politicians. In fact, when Pelosi ran in 1987, she was one of 14 candidates.

Even before Pelosi announced her retirement, two serious candidates had jumped into the race for her seat. One is former software engineer Saikat Chakrabarti, a progressive who left Silicon Valley to work for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, and later as chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Chakrabarti, 39, said he was running to offer a new generation of leadership.

San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener, one of the leading advocates for increasing housing development, jumped in last month after initially saying he would wait until Pelosi announced her retirement.

Others could join the fray, including San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, a labor ally whose opposition to market-rate housing development and support for closing the Great Highway could appeal to the west side of the district.