Who's running for Nancy Pelosi's House seat? Here are 3 Democrats who could replace her in Congress

Who could replace Nancy Pelosi?

After 38 years in Congress, Nancy Pelosi isn't seeking reelection — so who's going to take her place?

Pelosi, 85, announced earlier this month that she will be retiring after her current term ends in 2027. The first woman to serve as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and fierce LGBTQ+ ally broke the news through a video posted on social media, in which she thanked her city of San Francisco.

Related: Nancy Pelosi, retiring from Congress, leaves a record as a champion of LGBTQ+ equality

“It was you who made those words come true. It was the faith that you had placed in me and the latitude that you had given that enabled me to shatter the marble ceiling and be the first woman speaker of the House," Pelosi said, adding, "San Francisco, know your power. We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”

Pelosi's district is heavily Democratic, so it's an opportunity for a new Democratic leader to emerge. Here are a few candidates that could claim the spot.

Scott Wiener

Scott Wiener is an out gay man and Democrat currently running to replace Pelosi after launching his campaign in October. He was elected to the California Senate in 2016, and before that was a member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors — its city council — representing Harvey Milk’s district.

Wiener has spearheaded several pro-LGBTQ+ bills in the state, including most recently Assembly Bill 82/Senate Bill 497, which strengthens confidentiality for drugs used in gender-affirming care and abortion, and SB 59, which seals transgender and nonbinary adults’ gender transition court records.

Saikat Chakrabarti

Saikat Chakrabarti is a wealthy former tech worker and Democrat who ran New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's first Congressional campaign in 2018, and became her Chief of Staff responsible for writing and launching the Green New Deal. He was also part of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016.

Chakrabarti launched his campaign to take Pelosi's seat in October. His platform includes supporting universal healthcare and childcare, banning stock trading for members of Congress, cutting utility bills by up to 40 percent with public power, building affordable housing for lower rents, and opposing funding the genocide in Gaza.

Connie Chan

Connie Chan is a progressive Democrat and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (city council). She previously served as a spokesperson for the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, and has been an aide to Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Sophie Maxwell, and Kamala Harris when she was the city's District Attorney.

“San Francisco has always belonged to the people – not the powerful. And people in our city are struggling. Families are hurt by high costs, communities are devastated by Trump policies,” Chan said in a statement announcing her decision, San Francisco news station KQED reports. “I’ve spent my career advocating for the everyday people who are the backbone of San Francisco. We don’t need a representative who talks and refuses to listen. I’m running for Congress to build coalitions, build up our communities and bring our voices to Washington.”