Who's running in California's 11th congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Both candidates are Democrats, and the sharpest difference between them is housing: Wiener wants to remove local barriers to building at scale and accept compromises to do it, while Chan argues new construction has to come with protections for rent-controlled units, existing tenants and small businesses. Their transit funding disagreement runs along the same line.
2 candidates · ballot order · open seat
High confidenceHigh confidenceBacked by government records or the candidate's own official statements, with agreement across several independent sources.What would raise it: Nothing missing — this is the strongest evidence tier.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Housing growth that includes safeguards against demolition of rent-controlled units and displacement of tenants and small businesses.
Progressive taxation to fund transit rather than sales taxes that fall on all voters equally.
Community input in land use decisions.
Opposition to offensive weapons sales to Israel.
Representation for immigrant and working-class San Franciscans.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
San Francisco supervisor for District 1 since January 2021; re-elected in 2024.
Immigrated to the United States from Taiwan at age 13.
Voted in December against Mayor Daniel Lurie's Family Zoning plan, which would have allowed taller and denser housing on the city's west and north sides.
Was the only member of the Board of Supervisors not to support a regional bridge toll increase for transit in 2023.
Finished second in the June 2, 2026 primary with about 29%.
Arguments in favor
She opposed the city's upzoning plan because it lacked safeguards against demolishing rent-controlled homes and displacing tenants and small businesses — not out of opposition to housing.
— Connie Chan, explaining her vote
She is not an ideologue but an accurate reflection of the coalition that has elected her twice, and a voice for a part of the city that does not otherwise have one.
— Chan's supporters, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle
Arguments against
Her record on housing is one of obstruction: where Wiener has a long record of supporting housing at all income levels, her record says the opposite.
— The executive director of the Housing Action Coalition
She opposed early transit funding measures, and was the only supervisor who would not back a bridge toll increase to fund it.
— Scott Wiener, at a candidate debate
What we couldn’t verify
Her positions on most federal questions outside housing, transit and Gaza — trade, taxation, health financing — were not set out in the coverage available.
Whether she would support defensive weapons sales to Israel; she has declined to say.
Building 8 million homes over the next decade, half of them through a mixed-income social housing model combining public and private investment.
Taking California's AI safety and net neutrality rules national, with tighter regulation of AI, social media and internet providers.
Passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Equality Act.
Opposition to offensive weapons sales to Israel while supporting defensive ones.
Standing up to what he calls the Trump administration's extremist agenda.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
California State Senator for San Francisco since 2016.
San Francisco supervisor for District 8, 2011 to 2016.
Author of California's AI safety and net neutrality laws, of legislation expanding mental health insurance coverage, and of a law allowing lawsuits against federal immigration agents.
Led the Legislature's housing production overhaul, which Chan has consistently opposed.
Chose a regional sales tax rather than a business tax to fund Bay Area transit, arguing a business tax would have failed in the Legislature or been vetoed.
Finished first in the June 2, 2026 primary with about 41%.
Took down an AI chatbot and associated billboards attacking Chan in August 2026 after criticism.
Arguments in favor
He has a long record of doing everything he can to support housing at all income levels, at a time when San Francisco's prices are the defining problem in the city.
— The executive director of the Housing Action Coalition
The moment demands backbone and results, and he has passed hard bills — on housing, AI safety and mental health coverage — by accepting politically difficult compromises rather than holding out.
— Scott Wiener's campaign
Arguments against
His campaign promoted an AI chatbot caricaturing Chan that produced racist and sexist responses, including about her accent as a non-native English speaker; he took it down after the criticism.
— Nancy Pelosi, together with a coalition of Democratic officials and San Francisco political groups
Given a chance to fund transit through progressive taxation he chose a regional sales tax that every voter pays regardless of income.
— Connie Chan, at a candidate debate
What we couldn’t verify
A dedicated campaign issues website could not be confirmed; the positions above come from reporting, debate coverage and his campaign's public statements.
How the 8-million-homes target would be financed at the federal level.
His full response to the chatbot criticism beyond saying the attempt did not land as intended; he had initially said Chan's campaign provoked the responses.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Nancy Pelosi, who has held this San Francisco seat since 1987, is not running for re-election, so it is open. Eleven candidates ran in the June 2, 2026 top-two primary — eight Democrats, two Republicans and one independent — and the two who advanced are both Democrats: state Senator Scott Wiener with about 41% and Supervisor Connie Chan with about 29%. Roster confirmed against Ballotpedia's primary results, the San Francisco Chronicle and CBS San Francisco.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A California ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at California Secretary of State.