Nancy Pelosi, who is under growing pressure from fellow Democrats here to retire, will announce her plans for the redistricting measure next month after California’s election, an adviser said.
And if Pelosi, 85, leaves office, she has publicly promoted one Democrat who could run to replace her: San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who has emerged as a progressive force in City Hall and who, like Pelosi, is closely tied to the city’s powerful labor movement.
At last weekend’s No Kings protest in downtown San Francisco, Chan was the only local elected official to speak alongside Pelosi at a work event to rally the Democrats’ offer of kindness. The two took a picture together in the union hall, surrounded by dozens of workers. Many local political observers interpreted the development as an indicator of Pelosi’s mindset — especially after Chan’s re-election battle last year, in which she narrowly defeated a moderate challenger with the help of Pelosi’s endorsement and union money.
Other Democrats are more openly challenging Pelosi. Prominent state Sen. Scott Wiener is expected to launch his campaign Wednesday. Some tech experts have debated trying to run for someone else, even former Mayor London Breed, who managed to rally many of the city’s top donors during his losing campaign to current Mayor Daniel Lurie.
Pelosi’s office declined to comment on Chan or Wiener, and she did not say whether the 2026 intends to run for another term. But speculation about her future has swirled in recent days after Wiener told allies he would challenge Pelosi if she ran for re-election next year.
The move by Wiener, a moderate Democrat by San Francisco standards, sparked a tussle in the city’s political circles, with unions and progressives pitted against Wiener, who would rush to find another successor to Pelosi if she decides not to run for re-election.
According to two allies, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive conversations, Chan has told supporters in recent days that she is seriously considering a run for office, but only if Pelosi leaves office.
Robyn Burke, Chan’s spokeswoman, declined to comment beyond her support for Pelosi: “She supports Speaker of the House Emeritus Nancy Pelosi.
An aide to Pelosi, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss her timing, said the former speaker will announce her plans after Nov. 4. upcoming special election on congressional redistricting measures to help Democrats retake the House of Representatives and reduce President Donald Trump’s power in Washington.
“(The Nov. 4 election) is everything to us,” Pelosi recently told The San Francisco Examiner. “There is a lot of traffic because it is the way to win our House.
Questions about Pelosi’s political future have gripped San Francisco, which she has represented since 1987, and underscored a broader moment of uncertainty and transition in California’s political order. The former speaker has risen above an old guard of long-serving Democratic politicians who are facing mounting same-party challenges from a younger generation. Democrats are also seeking to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, a longtime Pelosi ally who is nearing the final year of his term.
But the dam could break in a matter of weeks. Pelosi isn’t the only prominent politician to hint at a major decision after Election Day. Sen. Alex Padilla brushed off questions about a possible run for governor, saying he, like billionaire Tom Steyer, is focused on Proposition 50.
Pelosi already faces a tougher-than-expected primary challenger in Saikat Chakrabarti, a wealthy former tech executive and progressive who previously served as chief of staff to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
If Pelosi retires, other potential contenders for the seat besides Chan include Christine Pelosi, her daughter and longtime party organizer, and Jane Kim, the former head and director of the left-leaning California Working Families Party. The younger Pelosi did not respond to a request for comment.
Wiener’s entry into the race ahead of any announcement by Pelosi — after years of a shadowy campaign to replace her — has angered Pelosi’s allies and some leaders of the city’s Democratic establishment.
“Whoever runs against Nancy has to have a real reason, not just their own personal ambitions,” said former Mayor Willie Brown, a decades-long city political kingpin close to the former speaker. “I don’t understand the motivation to go after her.”
Wiener also faces a difficult time in Sacramento, as a looming leadership change in the state Senate is likely to cost him the powerful post of committee chairman and reduce his influence. Wiener has been one of California’s most prolific state lawmakers, passing major housing and artificial intelligence bills this year.
Wiener’s allies said he wants to start his campaign now first to begin fundraising, noting that Chakrabarti has put $700,000 into the race.
The state senator’s campaign declined to comment. But former City Manager Bevan Dufty, a longtime supporter of Wiener, said he was in a “very difficult” position waiting for Pelosi to announce whether she plans to run before Chakrabarti’s campaign gains momentum.
“It wasn’t an easy way to do it, but I think you have to recognize that there is a candidate who is self-funded,” Dufty said. “He doesn’t really have much of a choice when this outside candidate comes in.”