# Pelosi’s seat domino effect

> San Francisco’s political race could trigger a chain reaction across state and city government.
- Title: Pelosi’s seat domino effect · The San Francisco Standard
- Summary: San Francisco’s political race could trigger a chain reaction across state and city government. If Scott Wiener wins San Francisco’s supervisor race, it…
- Keywords: nancy pelosi, scott wiener, connie chan, san francisco, state senate, board of supervisors, special election, labor unions, democratic national committee, news, local, Pelosi
- Source: The San Francisco Standard — https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/13/election-insider-2026-nancy-pelosi-scott-wiener-connie-chan-san-francisco
- Published: 2026-10-13T14:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nancy pelosi, scott wiener, connie chan, san francisco, state senate, board of supervisors, special election, labor unions, democratic national committee, news, local
## San Francisco political race
The bitter fight to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress is nearly over for San Francisco’s political class.
## Domino effect starts
Whether state sen. Scott Wiener or supervisor Connie Chan wins could kick off a chain reaction reaching the state senate and assembly.
## Wiener wins scenario
If Wiener wins, he must resign his state senate seat by early january and a special election would fill his seat.
## Wiener leads polls
Wiener holds a slim yet durable lead over Chan in recent polling, making him the likelier candidate.
## Special election candidates
Assemblymember Matt Haney and Christine Pelosi have declared for the special election to fill Wiener’s seat.
## Labor movement split
The special election could divide San Francisco’s powerful labor movement, which counts both Haney and the Pelosi family among its allies.
## Haney’s fundraising edge
Haney has $150,000 parked in two campaign committees, while Pelosi has $24,000 in cash on hand.
## Pelosi’s national connections
Christine Pelosi has deep national connections, including service on the Democratic National Committee since 1996.
## Chan wins scenario
If Chan wins, she would open her District 1 seat covering Richmond and Sea Cliff.
## Chan’s advantages
Chan trails Wiener by a few points in polls and has Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement and labor union backing.
## What happens next
San Francisco is headed for a changing of the guard unlike any seen since Nancy Pelosi won a special election four decades ago.
## Key takeaway

If Scott Wiener wins San Francisco’s supervisor race, it could spark a special election for his state senate seat and reshape the city’s political landscape.