This browser does not support the Video element.
Connie Chan concedes defeat to Scott Wiener in D11 congressional race
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan conceded defeat to State Senator Scott Wiener on Wednesday in the race for Spearker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's District 11 seat in Congress. Chan said she did not have a clear path to victoy one day after the polls closed.
SAN FRANCISCO - California State Senator Scott Wiener has defeated San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan in a hotly-contested race to become the next representative of California’s 11th Congressional District, which includes all of San Francisco.
The Congressman-elect will succeed Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who has held the congressional seat for nearly 40 years. This will also mark the first time ever that San Francisco will be represented in Congress by an LGBTQ person.
His opponent, Connie Chan, who currently sits on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, conceded on Wednesday.
Voter breakdown
By the numbers:
According to The Associated Press, about 57% of the vote had been counted. Wiener had 55% of the vote, compared with Chan’s 44%.
Wiener's victory – A ‘hard-fought’ campaign
"I want to thank Supervisor Connie Chan for a spirited and hard-fought campaign," Wiener said in a written statement shortly after Chan's concession. "We’ve had our disagreements, but we share a deep love for San Francisco and for our country." Wiener thanked his supporters for getting out the vote.
He also acknowledged the legacy of this particular congressional seat, noting those who came before him, most notably Pelosi, who he said, "Came to Congress to fight AIDS when too many wanted to look away." He said Pelosi never stopped fighting for San Francisco and for this country.
Wiener said in his victory statement that he looks forward to working on universal health care, investing in clean energy, public transit improvements, including high-speed rail, as well as standing up for science, immigrants and the potential for regulations on artificial intelligence.
"It won’t be easy. But on Election Day, voters across the country delivered a powerful mandate for Democrats in Congress," Wiener said. He pledged to lower the cost of living, "stop the endless wars" and to hold President Trump accountable for corruption.
Chan concedes
What they're saying:
"Over the past year, our campaign proudly brought San Franciscans together around a conviction that working people deserve the power to shape their own futures," Chan told voters in a statement Wednesday evening. "After reviewing the results and the ballots remaining to be counted, while we expect the margin to narrow significantly, we do not have a clear path to victory. I congratulate Scott Wiener on his election and wish him success in serving San Francisco.
Chan thanked voters and her supporters.
"Every person who organized a neighbor, spoke out for the first time or found a place in this movement has helped build something that will outlast this election," she said. "The families struggling to stay in San Francisco, the immigrants living in fear and the workers demanding a voice still need us to stand together. We must keep organizing, holding those in power accountable and bringing more people into the fight."
Live election results: All of California's U.S. House Districts
On Tuesday, voters cast ballots for congressional representatives in each of the 52 districts in California.
Chan also gave a special nod to Speaker Emerita Pelosi, who gave Chan her full-throated endorsement, saying she was the candidate who understood San Francisco.
"I am deeply grateful to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for her trust and for four decades of extraordinary service that have strengthened San Francisco and our country," Chan said. "Her incomparable legacy is secure, and it was an honor to have earned her support."
When Pelosi endorsed Chan in May, she highlighted Chan’s decades of service in San Francisco and her work in the health care, education and labor sectors.
"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," Pelosi said.
A heated campaign
Local perspective:
The race was narrowed to two candidates after economic policy director and technology entrepreneur Saikat Chakrabarti was eliminated in the June election.
The pared-down race grew heated in August when Wiener launched an AI chatbot parody of Chan, accompanied by billboard ads. The campaign was widely condemned as racist and sexist.
Pelosi, along with other Democratic women and political organizations, signed a letter calling the chatbot a "gross misuse of technology" that targeted a woman of color with attacks commonly used to question a woman’s credibility, leadership and belonging.
Wiener apologized and removed the ConnieChan.ai website. The site currently says it is "undergoing maintenance," with a footnote stating that it was paid for by Scott Wiener for Congress.
Wiener’s campaign platform included building more housing, improving public transit and creating new parks.
He portrayed Chan as an obstructionist and said he would stand up to President Donald Trump’s "authoritarian" agenda. Wiener also slammed Republican immigration policies and inflation, and at one point called Trump a "Russian asset."
With AI development taking on heightened urgency this election cycle, Wiener told voters that corporations should be taxed on profit gains that come from replacing human workers with AI. He said he authored the first bill in the country to regulate AI, but the bill he co-authored was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Wiener bypassed a previous pledge to run for Congress only if Pelosi announced she would not seek reelection. He announced his campaign for Pelosi’s seat in October 2025, reportedly expecting Pelosi to announce her plans within weeks.
Pelosi announced the following month that she would not seek reelection.
Wiener’s political ascent
Wiener, who is openly gay, has served in the California Senate since 2016. Before representing the 11th Congressional District, he served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing District 8, which includes the Castro neighborhood.
Wiener’s endorsements
Wiener was endorsed by the California Democratic Party, Rep. Sam Liccardo, former Rep. Katie Porter, the San Francisco Chronicle and late labor leader Dolores Huerta.