Nancy Pelosi's exit opens way for tough fight to replace her

LOS ANGELES -- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s determination to measurement speech aft astir 4 decades successful Congress kicks disconnected a wide-open contention to regenerate her astatine a clip erstwhile her location metropolis of San Francisco is roiled successful statement astir the cost of surviving and what its aboriginal should look like.

Pelosi announced Thursday that she volition not question reelection adjacent year, bookending a vocation that saw her go the archetypal woman successful the speaker’s seat and 1 of the astir almighty Democrats of her epoch successful Washington.

The contention to regenerate her is unfolding astatine a clip erstwhile her profoundly Democratic and famously wide territory — which encompasses virtually each of San Francisco — is contending with soaring lodging costs and struggle implicit whether denser improvement is the reply to them. Republicans relationship for a specified 7% of voters.

Not surprisingly, the website for Democratic campaigner and erstwhile tech enforcement Saikat Chakrabarti is headlined, “We tin hole this.”

“The median location successful our metropolis present costs $1.4 cardinal — acold much than immoderate middle-class household tin afford,” helium says.

San Francisco-based Democratic advisor Eric Jaye says that for voters, “Affordability is astatine the apical of the list” successful the metropolis of 830,000 people.

There’s an ongoing statement for older residents and caller alike — and a batch of anxiousness — implicit “what are we going to beryllium successful the future?” Jaye says. With an influx of artificial quality and different tech workers and streams of planetary superior flowing in, “Who is going to get to stay?”

The 85-year-old Pelosi has been facing unit for years from a younger procreation of Democrats to determination aside. Her announcement came aft 2 starring candidates didn’t hold and entered the contest: Chakrabarti, a erstwhile main of unit for Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Democratic authorities Sen. Scott Wiener, who is known for his advocacy for denser development.

With Pelosi’s announcement, different notable candidates are expected to articulation the contest. The database of imaginable contenders includes her daughter, lawyer and Democratic Party activistic Christine Pelosi, who observers person agelong speculated could travel her parent to Congress. She did not instrumentality telephone oregon substance messages Thursday.

Wiener is simply a fixture successful San Francisco authorities — he's represented the metropolis successful the authorities Senate since 2016, and earlier was a subordinate of the Board of Supervisors. He's known for taking stands connected thorny issues, including transgender rights and lodging development. He pushed a connection — approved this twelvemonth — that permits taller flat buildings adjacent transit hubs, adjacent implicit the absorption of section officials.

But his advocacy for dense lodging has besides earned him critics: He's “very fashionable with immoderate constituencies and, frankly, precise unpopular with others,” Jaye says. If Wiener wins, helium would beryllium the archetypal openly cheery idiosyncratic to correspond San Francisco successful Congress.

There are casual comparisons to beryllium made betwixt Chakrabarti and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the antiauthoritarian socialist who won a stunning victory this week. Chakrabarti worked for Bernie Sanders successful 2016, who backed Mamdani, arsenic did Ocasio-Cortez. Chakrabarti's parents came from India, arsenic did Mamdani's parents.

His docket checks a database of progressive priorities, including Medicare-for-all. Jaye says Chakrabarti is positioning himself arsenic “the progressive candidate, the generational candidate.” A wealthy, founding technologist astatine payments processing institution Stripe, Chakrabarti says helium and his volunteers volition sound connected each doorway successful the district.

Another sanction often mentioned arsenic a imaginable campaigner is Connie Chan, a progressive who serves connected the Board of Supervisors. Jaye says she could bring almighty elector groups with her to the contest, including influential labour unions. She was calved successful Hong Kong and would apt gully beardown enactment from the city's ample Asian-American community. As a woman, she would basal retired from Chakrabarti and Wiener.

In different humanities marker, Chan oregon Chakrabarti, if elected, would beryllium the archetypal idiosyncratic of Asian descent to correspond the district.

The contention successful the heavy Democratic territory volition play retired during the nationalist combat for House power successful the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans clasp a 219-213 bulk successful the House, with 3 vacancies.

President Donald Trump volition inevitably colour the campaign, adjacent though helium is not connected the ballot successful 2026. Wiener's website is headlined, “Scott has the courageousness to basal up to Trump,” and Chakrabarti warns, “Authoritarianism is winning due to the fact that the American imagination is failing.”

Still, lodging costs are apt to predominate the race.

“Density volition beryllium the No. 1 issue,” says California State University, San Francisco, governmental idiosyncratic Jason McDaniel. The run volition showcase “dueling visions of however to lick that affordability ... issue.”