SACRAMENTO – State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who has emerged as one of California’s most vocal critics of President Trump, will run next year for the congressional seat held by former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi be held, participate.
A formal announcement from Wiener is expected next week, the San Francisco Standard reported.
Erik Mebust, a spokesman for Wiener, declined to comment.
Wiener, 55, has already declared his intention to eventually run for the seat held by Pelosi and has raised $1 million through an exploratory committee. But he previously indicated he would wait until Pelosi, who was first elected in 1987, steps down.
That calculation changed, according to the Standard, when Saikat Chakrabarti, a progressive candidate, entered the race for Pelosi’s seat.
Pelosi spokesman Ian Krager released a statement saying Pelosi is focused on Proposition 50, which will be on the ballot in California’s November 4 special election. The measure would redraw California’s congressional districts in favor of Democrats and was pushed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democratic leaders after President Trump urged Texas to reconfigure the state’s district to elect five more Republicans to Congress, part of an effort to keep the GOP in control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Speaker Pelosi is fully focused on her mission to win the Yes on 50 special election in California on November 4. She is calling on all Californians to join that mission on the path to take back the House for the Democrats.”
Pelosi, 85, has not indicated whether she will run again. If she does seek another term, her age could be a factor at a time when younger Democrats are eager to see a new wave of leaders.
Pelosi was one of several top politicians who persuaded then-President Biden to forgo a second term after widespread concerns about his age.
Wiener, who was elected to the state Senate in 2016, is best known for his work pushing local governments to add more housing density.
He is a member of the California LGBTQ+ Caucus and has been a leading advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. If elected, Wiener would be the first openly gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress.
Prior to his election to the state legislature, Wiener served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and worked as a deputy city attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.
Newsom signed Wiener’s last week Senate Bill 79one of the most ambitious state-imposed housing efforts in recent memory. The bill rezones areas across California, overriding local zoning laws to allow larger, denser projects near public transit.
The bill has been fiercely opposed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other LA leaders who want to retain power over housing decisions.
Wiener has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration and sparred with the president’s supporters on social media. Another of his recent bills, to ban serving law enforcement officers from masking their faces during immigration raids, was also signed by Newsom.