The race for California’s 11th Congressional District in 2026 is rapidly intensifying as the long-held seat of House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi prepares to open. The most recent candidate to enter the contest is Marie Hurabiell, founder of ConnectedSF and a longtime community activist in San Francisco. Hurabiell also previously served as a board member of Stop Crime Action.
Two seasoned officeholders are already vying for Pelosi’s seat: San Francisco District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan and California State Senator Scott Wiener. Hurabiell, Chan, and Wiener each bring extensive track records shaped by the city’s persistent public safety challenges.
For voters seeking clarity, a closer examination of their respective approaches to crime, policing, and community safety follows.
Tech centimillionaire Saikat Chakrabarti is also committing millions of his personal fortune to compete in the race. Chakrabarti cofounded the progressive organizations Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats, has advocated for the abolition of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and previously served as campaign manager for Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. His political involvement in San Francisco has been limited, consisting primarily of voting in the 2010 and 2020 elections.
With Pelosi’s retirement after nearly four decades in office, the open seat is poised to trigger San Francisco’s first truly competitive congressional primary in a generation.
