FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI has endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed her in Congress.
The nod from the 20-term congresswoman, the first woman ever to wield the speaker’s gavel, presents a last-minute twist in the three-way Democratic race to become San Francisco’s next congressmember. Pelosi announced last November that she would retire rather than seek another term.
“I know this district, I know the Congress, and I know Connie,” said Pelosi in a short clip from a video provided by Pelosi’s team, in which she’s seated next to Chan. “I’m proud to endorse Connie Chan, and I ask you to join me in electing her to Congress.”
The full endorsement video was released Tuesday morning.
State Sen. Scott Wiener is leading the race by double digits, according to recent polls. Chan has been neck-and-neck with tech entrepreneur and former senior congressional aide Saikat Chakrabarti, who is largely self-funding his campaign. Former Republican Marie Huriabell is also running.
In the announcement, the former speaker points to Chan’s leadership as a supervisor and chair of the Board of Supervisors’ budget committee as evidence that Chan will fight “tirelessly” to “strengthen our safety net and protect our rights.”
Pelosi’s endorsement comes as something of a surprise after the former speaker signaled she would not endorse in the chaotic gubernatorial race, although she was spotted at fundraisers for Chan and appeared to provide unofficial support. It’s also a public rebuke of Wiener, who has previously called Pelosi his “hero.”
“I have tremendous respect for Speaker Emerita Pelosi and deep gratitude for everything she has done for our city and our country. Whoever wins in November will have giant stilettos to fill,” he said in a statement.
Pelosi praised Chan as “a mom who knows her power and knows her ‘why’” and said she also brought important lived experience as an Asian American immigrant woman.
“Connie’s story reflects the American dream — the hopes and courage of so many families who came to this country believing in opportunity, dignity, and democracy.”
This story originally appeared in CalMatters.