Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed San Francisco supervisor Connie Chan as her successor in the city's congressional seat, breaking her silence on the contested primary. In a letter to residents, Pelosi described Chan as the 'leader best prepared to carry forward the fight for San Francisco in the Congress.'
Pelosi, who announced her retirement after nearly 40 years in the House, had not previously weighed in on the race. Her endorsement comes as early mail-in ballots are being cast ahead of the 2 June primary. A video clip released on Monday shows Pelosi seated next to Chan, a progressive Democrat with ties to local labour unions, against a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Recent polls show Chan effectively tied with former tech executive Saikat Chakrabarti for second place, behind state Senator Scott Wiener. Under California's primary system, the top two candidates will advance to the November general election regardless of party. Chakrabarti, who served as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's first chief of staff, has been critical of Pelosi and Democratic party leadership, while Ocasio-Cortez has not endorsed anyone in the race.
In her endorsement, Pelosi highlighted Chan's 'important lived experience' as a woman, mother, and Asian American immigrant. Chan was born in Hong Kong and moved to San Francisco at age 13, living with her family in a one-bedroom apartment in Chinatown. If elected, she would become the first Asian American to represent San Francisco in Congress.
