With Election Day on Tuesday, the race to replace Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco’s 11th Congressional District is down to Supervisor Connie Chan and state Sen. Scott Wiener, both Democrats. Two very different local figures are now part of the closing push: Pelosi herself and Mayor Daniel Lurie, who has not endorsed.
Pelosi’s ground game for Chan
Mission Local reports that Pelosi endorsed Chan in May. Since then she has sent a trusted aide to run communications for Chan’s campaign and has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for her. In one hour of phone-banking, Pelosi left a handful of voicemails and talked with about a dozen voters, and none of them told her “no.” She also made an unexpected appearance at a North Beach rally on Saturday and released another endorsement video on Monday. U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, both longtime Pelosi allies, also back Chan.
The local effort comes on top of a heavy national schedule. The San Francisco Standard reviewed Pelosi’s calendar and counted 85 political events from June to late October. Roughly 80% of her in-person events were outside San Francisco, and more than half were outside California.
Lurie on both sides’ mailers
Lurie has stayed neutral in the race, but the San Francisco Chronicle reports that both camps are using his image. Chan’s campaign sent a mailer with several photos of her with the mayor, highlighting their work together when she chaired the Board of Supervisors’ budget committee. Abundant Future, a tech-backed PAC supporting Wiener, sent a separate mailer calling Wiener and Lurie “partners for public safety.” Wiener’s campaign did not produce that piece. The Chronicle reports the PAC’s donors include Chris Larsen, John Pritzker and Michael Moritz.
“Mayor Lurie has worked closely with both of them to deliver for San Francisco and he looks forward to their continued partnership,” Lurie spokesperson Max Szabo said. USF public affairs professor Patrick Murphy told the Chronicle that the mailers probably won’t move undecided voters, because both candidates can claim ties to the mayor: “This falls into the ‘same-same’ column.”
Where the race stands
A recent USC survey found Wiener ahead of Chan 47% to 41% among likely voters, with 9% undecided, a lead within the margin of error. The same poll put Lurie’s approval at 63%, which is 8 points higher than Pelosi’s and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s. For more, see our coverage of the USC poll and the money in the race.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.
