Scott Wiener set to become San Francisco’s first out gay member of Congress
Scott Wiener set to become the first out gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress. (Getty Images)
California state senator Scott Wiener looks set to become the first out gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress, after his Democratic opponent, city supervisor Connie Chan, conceded the election to replace Nancy Pelosi.
Decision Desk HQ’s latest returns showed Wiener leading Chan by 55.46% to 44.54% in California’s 11th Congressional District.
Chan said she expected the margin to narrow as more ballots were counted, but that her campaign’s review of the outstanding vote persuaded her to concede.
In a statement, she said: “I congratulate Scott Wiener on his election and wish him success in serving San Francisco.”
Pelosi, who endorsed Chan, congratulated Wiener on Wednesday and said her office was ready to assist with the transition in a statement.
“Representing San Francisco is an extraordinary honor and a profound responsibility. My office stands ready to assist in the transition, and I wish him success in service for the people of our city,” she said.
Why Scott Wiener’s projected win matters
Wiener’s expected victory would mark a milestone for LGBTQ+ political representation in a city closely associated with queer history and activism.
Pelosi first won the seat in 1987, at the height of the AIDS crisis in San Francisco, defeating Harry Britt, a gay former city supervisor and ally of Harvey Milk. Recalling her first speech on the House floor pledging to fight AIDS, Pelosi said people asked: “Why’d you say you came here to fight AIDS?” Her answer was: “Because I did.”
Wiener and Chan, both Democrats, advanced from California’s top-two primary in June.
Wiener’s LGBTQ+ policy record in California
Wiener has represented San Francisco in the California State Senate since 2016, after serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He has built a national profile through pro-housing and transit policy fights, often drawing both strong support and vocal opposition.
In Sacramento, he expanded access to HIV prevention medication and helped secure recognition for non-binary Californians on official documents. He also authored a 2022 law designed to protect transgender young people and their families who travel to California for gender-affirming care, limiting when California authorities can share medical information or cooperate with another state seeking to arrest a provider or remove a child from a parent’s custody over care that is legal in California.
In 2022, after the Club Q shooting, he wrote on X that “the word ‘groomer’ is categorically an anti-LGBTQ hate word.”
