Retiring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is making sure her political machine doesn’t leave town with her luggage.
BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi endorses SF Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed her in Congress, saying Chan “stands above” all the other candidates.
The Speaker Emerita’s backing is one of the most coveted in San Francisco politics. Pelosi has held the seat for nearly 40 years. pic.twitter.com/9osp5FpboM
— Monica Madden (@themonicamadden) May 18, 2026
The 86-year-old California Democrat formally endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on Monday in the increasingly crowded race to inherit Pelosi’s deep-blue congressional seat — effectively signaling who the Democratic establishment wants guarding the liberal stronghold once the queen of San Francisco politics finally exits the stage.
“I know and love this district, I know the Congress and I know Connie,” Pelosi declared in a campaign video shared online, with Chan seated beside her like a political apprentice getting the ceremonial blessing. “I’m proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress. Thank you,” Pelosi added.
And just like that, the passing of the torch became official.
Pelosi’s retirement marks the end of an era that stretched nearly four decades in Washington, where she rose to become the first woman to wield the speaker’s gavel and one of the most powerful Democrats in modern political history. Love her or loathe her, Pelosi built an iron grip over San Francisco politics that Republicans could only watch from afar in disbelief. Now Democrats are battling over who gets the keys to the kingdom.
Chan, who has served on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors since 2021, launched her campaign by leaning heavily into Pelosi-world branding — showcasing photos with the longtime Democratic power broker and presenting herself as the ideological continuation of the Pelosi era. “I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me and fought for the same values,” Chan said in her campaign launch video, a line clearly designed to reassure progressives nervous about any deviation from the city’s activist orthodoxy.
Her campaign materials read like a California Democrat yearbook. Alongside Pelosi are glossy images with former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Judy Chu — a reminder that in San Francisco politics, endorsements and insider ties still matter almost as much as ideology.
But while Chan has establishment backing, she’s hardly dominating the money race. State Sen. Scott Wiener — one of Sacramento’s most outspoken progressives and a darling of the activist left — jumped into the race weeks before Pelosi announced her retirement and has been vacuuming up campaign cash at a far faster pace.
Federal Election Commission filings show Wiener hauled in more than $734,000 during the first quarter of 2026 alone and ended March with a staggering $2.6 million cash stockpile. Chan, meanwhile, reported roughly $457,000 in total contributions and just over $156,000 cash on hand by the same deadline — respectable numbers in most races, but noticeably behind for someone carrying Pelosi’s public blessing.
Then there’s Saikat Chakrabarti, the former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a progressive firebrand in his own right, who appears willing to bankroll his own political revolution. FEC records show Chakrabarti poured more than $4.8 million of his own money into the race after entering months before Pelosi confirmed she was stepping aside.
The race now looks less like a routine Democratic handoff and more like a family feud inside America’s bluest political bubble — establishment loyalists versus activist progressives versus self-funded disruptors. Voters head to California’s open primary on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election unless one candidate manages to clear the 50% mark outright. Pelosi may be retiring, but the battle over her political empire is just getting started.
