In Race to Replace Pelosi, Wiener, Chan Hold Early Lead

“At this moment in history, with rising authoritarianism, we cannot afford politics that simply preserve the status quo. That does not work,” he said, adding that young people are “losing hope” when it comes to climate change, housing, gun violence and more.

Supporter Elizabeth Joyce said she was “really delighted” that the pro-housing lawmaker “may get to replace Nancy Pelosi.”

Pelosi, she said, was “an incredibly powerful operator,” but “San Francisco deserves a much more progressive candidate.”

At the party, supervisors Matt Dorsey and Myrna Melgar appeared, along with recalled former supervisor Joel Engardio, Assemblywoman Catherine Stephanie and Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks.

Wiener, a more moderate candidate than his two main challengers, held a commanding lead in the race as of Wednesday. Chan, a progressive Democrat who earned an endorsement from Pelosi, came in second with about 29% of the vote. Saikat Chakrabarti carried around 15% of the initial vote.

A wealthy former software engineer, Chakrabarti has a small political footprint in San Francisco compared to his opponents. Throughout his largely self-funded campaign, which Chakrabarti put nearly $10 million of his own money toward, the Houston-born candidate often referred to his political experience working as a co-founder of Justice Democrats and previous chief of staff to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Rod Laughridge, a Chakrabarti supporter from Cole Valley who attended his watch party, compared Chakrabarti to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“Saikat is one of those people,” Laughride said. “This guy is transformative change.”

But Chakrabarti’s efforts came up short, with Chan and Wiener carving out a decisive lead for the runoff in November.

“This campaign has come to an end, but the challenges facing San Francisco and our country remain, and so does the work of building a future where everyone has access to healthcare, affordable housing and a government that puts people ahead of corporate interests,” Chakrabarti said in a concession statement on Wednesday. “While this wasn’t the outcome we hoped for, I’m incredibly proud of what we built together.”

Wiener, a former San Francisco supervisor, touted his work at the state level to cut red tape and make building housing easier as well as mandatory for local jurisdictions like San Francisco, where housing development has lagged for decades. A gay man with deep ties to the city’s LGBTQ+ community, Wiener has also fought for legislation to protect trans youth, some of which he’s faced backlash for, particularly from MAGA Republicans.

Chan, a later entrant to the race, touted her community-based work in the city and promised to fight against corporate interests. Her campaign raised only a fraction of what her opponents pulled in, but she received the coveted Pelosi endorsement, which may have given her a primary boost.

“We’re going to show you what working people’s power looks like,” Chan said during an upbeat election watch party at El Rio in the Mission District. “The work is not done yet. It just got started.”

But, Chan — who told the crowd to laughter that she was set to chair a budget committee meeting on Wednesday — warned her supporters not to celebrate for too long.

“Now they’re going to come for us,” she said. “You know that, right?”

The three top contenders shared many of the same stances on policies like passing Medicare for All, protecting immigrants and building more affordable housing. All three also ultimately said they believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, although Wiener clarified his position after a debate in January where he faced criticism for initially failing to answer the question.

Former Republican-turned-moderate Democrat Marie Huriabell trailed the other candidates.

The congressional district includes virtually all of San Francisco, except for a small southeastern section. It is the first time no incumbent has run since Pelosi was first elected in 1987.

“Tomorrow morning,” Wiener said, “we’re going to get right back up and go to work.”

KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti contributed reporting.