Nancy Pelosi has represented San Francisco in the U.S. House since 1987 and was the first woman to serve as Speaker. She is not seeking re-election, and her District 11 seat is an open contest on November 3 between Supervisor Connie Chan and State Senator Scott Wiener.
Background
Nancy Pelosi is the daughter of Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., who served five terms in Congress and twelve years as Mayor of Baltimore; her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also served as Baltimore's mayor. She graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. She and her husband, Paul Pelosi, a San Francisco native, have five children and ten grandchildren. She won her first race for Congress in 1987, defeating former San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt in the primary. She served on the House Intelligence Committee from 1993 to 2003, as its ranking member from 2000, and later as House Democratic Whip before leading the House Democrats for 20 years.
In office
Pelosi was elected Speaker in 2007, the first woman to hold the post, and regained the office in January 2019, serving four terms in all. Her official biography credits her as an architect of the Affordable Care Act, with leading the crafting of the American Rescue Plan, with House passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (2022), and as a negotiator of the CHIPS and Science Act. In the 1990s she pushed Congress to convert the Presidio army base into a self-sustaining public park. After Republicans won the House in 2022, she stepped down as Democratic leader, keeping a term-limit promise made four years earlier. She now holds the title Speaker Emerita.
KQED reports that she has raised about $100 million directly since 2000 and helped bring in about $1.25 billion for Democrats.
In 2024 she opposed Wiener's AI safety bill, SB 1047, which Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed. On May 18, 2026, she endorsed Chan to succeed her and has hosted fundraisers for her. Her family gave Chan's campaign $8,000 in late September, and at least 18 current or former Pelosi aides gave a combined $12,310 that quarter. She is also listed among the endorsers of Mayor Daniel Lurie's Propositions D, E and F on the November ballot.
On the ballot
Pelosi announced in November 2025 that she would not seek re-election, and her term ends January 3, 2027. Her District 11 seat is an open contest between two Democrats on November 3, 2026: Supervisor Connie Chan, whom she has endorsed, and State Senator Scott Wiener. Wiener led the June primary with about 41 percent to Chan's 29 percent in preliminary results. The seat's next election after this one is November 7, 2028.
What supporters say
Speaking of Pelosi's record, said “People need to study effectiveness” and that they should celebrate pragmatism, not just idealism.
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California; KQED, October 14, 2026 SourceSaid Pelosi spent time with freshmen, including “a lot of time with me really training me on how this place works.”
Lateefah Simon, U.S. Representative, California's 12th District; KQED, October 14, 2026 SourceAnnouncing his run for her seat, said Pelosi “has moved mountains for the country and for San Francisco” and that he thinks the world of her.
Scott Wiener, State Senator, District 11; KQED, October 22, 2025 Source
What critics say
Said Pelosi's control over where the money she raises goes produces “a system of currying favor from lower ranking Democrats.”
Hilary Braseth, Executive director, OpenSecrets; KQED, October 14, 2026 SourcePublicly urged Pelosi to step aside for a younger generation of leaders before she announced her retirement.
Saikat Chakrabarti, Former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a 2026 candidate for the seat; CalMatters, October 22, 2025 SourceCalled Pelosi's backing of Chan “a fit of political pique” over his entering the race before she decided not to run again.
Scott Wiener, State Senator, candidate for District 11; The American Prospect, September 28, 2026 Source
SFBAYHCC does not endorse candidates in these pages. Every candidate in a contest gets the same fields, listed in the order the official source lists them. How we write these profiles. Profile last reviewed October 17, 2026.
