SAN FRANCISCO (D-San Francisco) – California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced Wednesday that he is running for Congress in 2026. Wiener is seeking to represent San Francisco in California’s 11th Congressional District, a seat currently held by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.
The 55-year-old senator began a statement Wednesday saying he was “running for Congress because San Franciscans deserve a leader who can stand up to Trump’s extremist agenda.” In recent months, Weiner has been a consistent voice opposing President Donald Trump’s administration’s moves to deploy mask-wearing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and National Guard troops in American cities.
“My campaign isn’t about nice words and token gestures, it’s about accomplishing big things,” Weiner’s statement said. “When I first took office as Senator, people told me I would never be able to accomplish anything meaningful at the state level. I’m proud to have proven them wrong, by passing dozens of groundbreaking statewide laws that touch people’s lives every day.”
Weiner was elected to the state Senate in 2016 and won re-election in 2020 and 2024. Prior to his 11th Senate term, Weiner served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2011 to 2016.
It is currently unknown whether Pelosi will run for re-election in 2026, which could pit herself against her fellow Democrat. In a statement issued by Pelosi’s spokesman, Ian Krager, on Wednesday, he said: “Speaker Pelosi is fully focused on her mission to win YES in California’s 50th special election on November 4th. She urges all Californians to join that mission on the path to taking back the House for Democrats.”
Weiner’s announcement continued: “It is a scary time for our country. Our democracy is at stake. Trump is waging an all-out war against immigrants and LGBT people. At the same time, it is becoming more and more difficult to buy a home, afford groceries, and pay for college. Young people feel helpless about the future. To change that, we must be willing to challenge the status quo. It is a time for new ideas, for leaders “Willing – and able.” – To fight tirelessly for them.
If elected to Congress, Weiner said he would be the first person from the LGBTQ community to represent San Francisco. “At a time when our community faces a vicious attack from Trump and his MAGA allies, we need someone who has lived what is at stake for our community and knows how to fight for it representing San Francisco in Congress,” Weiner said.