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WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may be leaving Congress — but her family’s interest in politics may not be over.
The 85-year-old’s retirement announcement Thursday has thrown the primary race to replace her wide open, with one of Pelosi’s own daughters rumored to be mulling a run for her mother’s San Francisco-based seat.
Pelosi, the daughter of late Maryland Congressman and Baltimore Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., confirmed that she would end her four-decade career on Capitol Hill in January 2027, telling her constituents in a video message: “Know your power. We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way.”
Here’s a rundown of who is running — and may still run — for the suddenly open seat.
Christine Pelosi, not declared
Given her last name and ties to the Democratic Party establishment, Pelosi’s daughter Christine has long been considered a possible successor.
Christine, co-founder of We Said Enough, a group that works to stop sexual harassment in the workplace, has long been evasive about her political aspirations.
“I’m 100% focused on passing Prop 50 — especially in the swing districts we need to win in CA to win the House — and think every Dem should be as well,” she told the San Francisco Chronicle in a text message ahead of Tuesday night’s election.
Christine, 59, has been involved with the Democratic National Committee since 1996, having served on its executive committee panel since 2017. However, California Democratic sources have warned that may be a point against her given the anti-establishment mood of many party voters.
Saikat Chakrabarti, declared
Even before Pelosi’s retirement announcement, Saikat Chakrabarti was mounting a primary challenge from the left.
Chakrabarti, a software engineer and former chief of staff for “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) who also worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential bid, argues that Pelosi’s skills and style are not “what the party needs right now.”
Financial disclosures indicate that the 39-year-old is worth at least $167 million and could likely self-fund his congressional campaign.
Chakrabarti had cheered the news of Pelosi’s retirement.
“Thank you, [Speaker Pelosi], for your decades of service that defined a generation of politics and for doing something truly rare in Washington: making room for the next one,” he said.
Connie Chan, undeclared
Connie Chan, who sits on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, has long had her eye on Pelosi’s seat and is now expected to announce her candidacy now that the former speaker has retired, The Post has learned.
“Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is our forever Speaker and will always be the lioness of San Francisco,” Chan, 47, said in response to news of Pelosi’s retirement. “I cannot adequately express my immense gratitude for her service and her sacrifice.”
During the aftermath of the riots that engulfed the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death in May 2020, Chan had publicly opposed efforts to increase the San Francisco Police Department’s budget.
Three years later, she demanded that the police presence in her Richmond district be bolstered due to public safety concerns.
While the flip-flop has led to some questions about Chan’s progressive bona fides, sources say she enjoys high popularity in San Francisco’s politically powerful Asian community.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, declared
Late last month, California state Sen. Scott Wiener announced his campaign for Pelosi’s seat, explaining that he was done waiting for her to announce her retirement plans.
Wiener, 55, has framed his candidacy as an effort to counter Trump.
“My family escaped fascism in Europe. I never thought the United States would slip into fascism like we’re seeing today,” Wiener said in a campaign launch video.
Wiener famously helped California pass legislation to fast-track development of new housing, drawing some ire from hardcore environmentalists.
He’s also backed legislation promoting so-called gender-affirming care for minors; allowing non-binary designations on government IDs; and ending the mandatory inclusion of adults who have oral and anal intercourse with minors on sex offender registries, arguing that the law “disproportionately targets LGBT young people.”
Jane Kim, undeclared
Former San Francisco supervisor Jane Kim, 48, currently the California Director for the Working Families Party, is also rumored to be considering getting in the race.
Like Chakrabarti, Kim is a Bernie Sanders campaign veteran, serving as the senator’s political director during his 2020 bid.
Additional reporting by Joe Burns in Los Angeles
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