House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) attempted to anoint her own successor as she exits Congress, only to see San Francisco voters reject her preferred candidate in favor of a state legislator known for opposing a blanket ban on registered sex offenders holding public office.
According to The Daily Wire, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Connie Chan conceded the race to state Senator Scott Wiener (D-CA), even as ballots were still being tallied.
"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 said in a statement, issued while Wiener held an advantage of roughly 11 percentage points.
Pelosi had thrown her political weight behind Chan just two weeks before California's June primary, attempting to steer the heavily Democratic district toward her chosen heir. At an August event, she declared, "Nobody knows Congress better than I do. Nobody. And I think she would be the best member of Congress."
Pelosi's endorsement, however, failed to deliver the outcome she clearly desired. The loss underscored the limits of even long-entrenched political power in a city increasingly defined by internal progressive rivalries.
As previously reported, Wiener had made little effort in recent years to conceal his ambition to claim Pelosi's seat, positioning himself as the natural successor in the event of her retirement. He had publicly stated that he would not run until Pelosi stepped aside, yet ultimately entered the race before she formally announced that she would not seek another term.
That move fueled speculation that Pelosi's backing of Chan was at least partly a rebuke of Wiener's timing. Some observers also questioned whether her endorsement was designed to protect the prospects of her daughter, Christine Pelosi, whose own potential bid for the seat may have been complicated by Wiener's early entry.
Wiener, who has served in the California State Senate since 2016, has drawn scrutiny for his stance on sex offender policy, particularly his opposition to a broad prohibition on registered sex offenders holding public office. In August, Senate Democrats rejected an amendment to AB2691 that would have expanded the bill's restrictions to cover all three tiers of California's sex offender registry, a move conservatives argued was basic common sense.
"Right now in California, someone convicted of sexually abusing a child can still sit on your school board. That's not a loophole. That's a choice. And in my perspective, and most, that's wrong," state Sen. Suzette Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, said at the time.
Wiener countered that a blanket ban tied to the registry would be overly broad and would ensnare individuals he believes should not be barred from office. Arguing that not everyone on the registry is there for violent or predatory conduct, he claimed the amendment would unfairly punish "a gay guy who had sex in a park or in a car and got arrested."
"Sex offender registry is not punishment. It is a tool for law enforcement to be able to monitor people who may potentially cause a risk. And when we use the sex offender registry as a proxy for anything else, we get into problems," Wiener said.
Valladares, speaking to Fox News Digital in late August, framed the issue in stark moral terms. "I'm a mom. This one isn't complicated for me. Today, 40 senators had the chance to say convicted sex offenders should NEVER hold public office in California. Ten Republicans stood up to vote for what is right," she said.
"My amendments would have closed the door. No loopholes. No exceptions. No convicted sex offenders serving in positions of public trust, including on our school boards. Protecting our kids should NEVER be partisan. I'm deeply disappointed, and I'm not done fighting," Valladares added.
Wiener ultimately supported the narrower version of AB2691, which left broader restrictions off the table but still imposed limited constraints. The bill passed the Legislature in August and was signed into law on September 27, leaving many conservatives warning that California's political class remains unwilling to draw a firm line against allowing convicted sex offenders to hold positions of public trust.
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