Scott Wiener claims Pelosi’s San Francisco seat in US midterms after all-Democratic race
Former California Jewish Caucus co-chair set to become city’s first openly gay congressman; he and opponent Connie Chan both accused Israel of genocide during the campaign
JTA — Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener declared victory Wednesday in the midterm race to succeed his Democratic rival, US Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco since 1987.
As of Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Wiener had 55.5% of the vote compared with 44.5% for his opponent, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who has conceded, with 57% of ballots counted.
“I’m humbled to carry forward the powerful legacy of this seat,” Wiener wrote in a post on X that paid homage to Pelosi, the former speaker of the House.
“Speaker Pelosi came to Congress to fight AIDS when too many wanted to look away, and she never stopped fighting for our city and our country. Madame Speaker, thank you,” he wrote.
Wiener, who is gay, called his victory “historic” as he becomes the first openly LGBTQ member of the community to represent San Francisco and any part of Northern California.
His victory statement focused on affordable housing, universal health care, and clean energy.
“On Election Day, voters across the country delivered a powerful mandate for Democrats in Congress. I’m deeply inspired by the trust they placed in us to take big swings to lower the cost of living, stop the endless wars, hold Trump and his cronies accountable for their corruption, and rein in the threat of artificial intelligence,” he wrote.
Although Wiener’s statement did not mention Israel, the country became a central topic during the race. Both candidates accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza over the last three years.
Chan ran to Wiener’s left on Israel. Wiener, a self-proclaimed “lefty Jew,” opposes offensive weapons sales to an Israeli government not committed to peace, but supports defensive systems. Chan supported a full arms embargo and said Palestinian refugees should be allowed to return to areas within Israel.
Wiener had initially declined to say whether he believed Israel had committed genocide in Gaza during a January debate, before reversing course days later.
His accusation sparked backlash from major Jewish institutions and cost him his leadership role in the state legislature’s Jewish caucus. He has also clashed over the years with anti-Zionist Jews, saying in 2024 that the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace served to “give tokenistic cover to people who make antisemitic statements.”
Wiener was harassed by protesters criticizing his positions on Israel and Gaza at the San Francisco Trans March in June. He said the protesters forced him to leave the event and called their confrontation “antisemitic.”
Some local Jews urged their community to support him. Arthur Slepian and Jan Reicher, the current and former presidents of the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area, said that Wiener “did not abandon his commitment to Jewish security, Jewish education or the physical safety of Jewish institutions” in an op-ed in J, The Jewish News of Northern California. They argued that Chan represented a greater threat, saying her supporters “have undermined Jewish safety and seek Israel’s outright destruction.”
Wiener was backed by J Street, the liberal pro-Israel advocacy group, whose independent expenditure arm, J Street Action Fund, announced a $60,000 ad campaign for him in the primary.
Chan was supported by JVP and the Bay Area chapter of IfNotNow, another left-wing Jewish group. She also received an endorsement from Pelosi, despite the former House speaker’s more moderate politics and longtime support for Israel.
The Times of Israel contributed to this article.