Christine Pelosi, daughter of Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), is believed to be angling to replace her mother in Congress when the powerful 84-year-old California Democrat decides to retire. The maneuvering is complicating efforts by California State Senator Scott Wiener, a far-left progressive, to position himself to succeed the former Democrat House Speaker as well.
A fight between Weiner, 54, and Christine Pelosi, 58, to succeed the latter’s mother would likely pit national Democrats against the California Democratic Party, where Weiner has built a robust base of support. The younger Pelosi, meanwhile, is a long-time party operative and has deep ties to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), where she has served as the Vice Chairman for Campaigns and Elections.
Weiner has been building a shadow campaign for several years in anticipation of Nancy Pelosi‘s retirement. In 2023, the progressive state senator announced he had amassed a $1 million war chest to fund his congressional run. The 84-year-old Pelosi’s decision to run for another term in office derailed Weiner’s plans.
Both Weiner and Pelosi aren’t without their problems. While popular among the LGBTQ community and progressive activists, Weiner’s anti-police and pro-drug legalization positions have alienated more moderate Democrats. Christine Pelosi, meanwhile, came under fire in 2020 for a tweet declaring, “Rand Paul’s neighbor was right.” In 2017, Senator Paul (R-KY) was violently attacked by his neighbor. In a twist of irony, her father, Paul Pelosi, was attacked shortly after her tweet.
Should the Pelosi family decide to keep the Congressional seat in the family, Christine Pelosi will likely find a wealth of allies thanks to her mother’s tremendous influence and power.
“It’s very difficult for anybody to challenge the name Pelosi,” former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said in a recent interview regarding the potential succession fight. He added: “Nancy Pelosi is basically the foremost Democrat in this state.”
