California state Sen. Scott Wiener will succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Congress after defeating Pelosi’s endorsed candidate in a closely watched San Francisco race.
The Associated Press called California’s 11th Congressional District for Wiener on Friday morning, three days after voters went to the polls.
Wiener, a Democrat, defeated fellow Democrat and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan in the heavily Democratic district.
When the AP called the race, Wiener held approximately 54.5% of the vote compared with Chan’s 45.4%, with roughly three-quarters of the expected vote counted.
Chan had already conceded Wednesday after her campaign concluded that remaining ballots would not provide a path to victory.
“After reviewing the results and the ballots remaining to be counted, while we expect the margin to narrow significantly, we do not have a clear path to victory,” Chan said.
Her defeat represented a rare political setback for Pelosi in her home city.
Pelosi endorsed Chan before the June primary and provided significant support to her campaign as voters chose who would inherit the congressional seat she has held since 1987.
Chan also received backing from former Sen. Barbara Boxer, organized labor and several progressive organizations.
Wiener was supported by the California Democratic Party, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Equality California and housing advocacy organization SF YIMBY.
Pelosi announced last year that she would retire rather than seek another term, triggering the first truly competitive race for the San Francisco seat in decades.
The former speaker ultimately congratulated Wiener despite campaigning for his opponent.
“I congratulate Scott Wiener on his election to the Congress,” Pelosi said Wednesday. “Representing San Francisco is an extraordinary honor and a profound responsibility.”
Pelosi added that her congressional office would assist Wiener during the transition.
Wiener, 56, has served in the California Senate since 2016 after previously serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
He has built a national profile through legislation involving housing development, climate policy, artificial intelligence and LGBTQ rights.
His victory will also make history.
Wiener will become the first openly LGBTQ person to represent San Francisco in Congress.
“For the first time ever, San Francisco will be represented in Congress by an LGBTQ person,” Wiener said after Chan conceded.
The two Democrats offered different approaches on several major issues despite belonging to the same party.
Wiener emphasized increasing housing production and federal incentives for development, while Chan promoted stronger affordability requirements and tenant protections.
They also differed over artificial intelligence regulation, corporate campaign contributions and U.S. policy toward Israel.
California’s top-two primary system allowed Wiener and Chan to advance to November despite both being Democrats.
The race became particularly notable after Pelosi bypassed Wiener and endorsed Chan shortly before the June primary.
Wiener nevertheless emerged victorious in a district Pelosi dominated for nearly four decades.
Pelosi became the first woman elected speaker of the House in 2007 and eventually served two separate periods as speaker while leading House Democrats for two decades.
Her retirement closes one of the longest and most consequential congressional careers of the modern era.
Wiener will now enter Washington without Pelosi’s enormous seniority but representing the same overwhelmingly Democratic San Francisco district.
His victory simultaneously begins a new chapter for the seat and demonstrates that even Pelosi’s considerable political influence was not enough to determine who would inherit it.
