Ms. Pelosi, 85, has not yet said whether she will run again. The challenge would be the latest example of the Democratic Party facing a push for generational change.
By Shane Goldmacher, Heather Knight and Laurel Rosenhall
Oct. 18, 2025
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/us/politics/nancy-pelosi-scott-wiener.html
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to face the most serious primary challenge of her career if she runs for re-election, as a fellow San Francisco Democrat, State Senator Scott Wiener, is preparing to enter the race later this month, according to two people briefed on his plans.
Ms. Pelosi, 85, has not yet said whether she will seek another term in 2026 in the San Francisco seat she has occupied in Congress since 1987. Mr. Wiener, 55, has been waiting for Ms. Pelosi to step aside, opening a congressional committee two years ago and raising more than $1 million for it. As recently as March, he had said he would wait to run until after Ms. Pelosi retired and it would “be an honor” to succeed her.
But the political dynamics appear to have changed as Ms. Pelosi, who stepped down as the Democratic leader after the 2022 midterm elections, has continued to hold her congressional seat and has declined to announce her plans for the future.
Mr. Wiener declined to comment. His plans were first reported by the San Francisco Standard.
Mr. Wiener, who is openly gay, has been a prolific legislator in Sacramento, known for pushing to spur more housing development and pass laws that expand rights for L.G.B.T.Q. people. He wrote a law making California a “state of refuge” for transgender people from states that banned access to gender medical care to get treatment without facing criminal prosecution. For years, he worked to change California’s landmark environmental law to make it easier to build more homes, an effort that was finally successful this year.