State Senator Scott Wiener finished first in the primary race to replace Representative Nancy Pelosi as San Francisco’s representative in Congress, according to results released on June 3. Wiener secured around 40 percent of the votes and will face San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who received nearly 30 percent, in the November general election.
Various outlets have called the race with about half of the vote counted. The contest has drawn attention due to Wiener’s longstanding support from the real estate industry, which has backed his campaign with contributions totaling more than $247,000—just over 7 percent of his $4 million raised. Notable donations include $2,500 from the National Association of Home Builders’ political action committee and $4,300 from Bill Witte, former CEO and founder of Related California.
Chan raised under $13,000 from real estate interests. Another candidate in the race, Chakrabarti—a former employee at digital payment technology company Stripe—spent almost $9 million of his personal wealth on his campaign but did not advance. Of the $417,000 he raised from individual contributions, less than $3,000 came from real estate donors.
The general election will feature two Democratic candidates with contrasting positions on housing policy. Chan represents San Francisco’s more residential west side and has criticized what she calls an “all housing is good housing” approach advocated by Wiener and YIMBY supporters. She identifies as a progressive and holds endorsements from Senator Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi.
Wiener has focused his campaign on a comprehensive housing plan that includes proposals such as rolling back Republican tax cuts and paying cities $10,000 per unit for new housing construction.
