\u201cWe\u2019ll definitely support her,\u201d he told The Standard in Cantonese. \u201cWe\u2019re not just looking forward to it \u2014 we\u2019re hoping for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chan, a Chinese immigrant who moved to San Francisco as a teenager, is running in a competitive race to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi, whose retirement after four decades in Congress has opened a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The leading candidates \u2014 Chan, state Sen. Scott Wiener, and tech founder and former congressional staffer Saikat Chakrabarti \u2014 are scrambling to build coalitions that can lift them into the top two spots in June\u2019s primary, letting them advance to the general election.<\/p>\n
But Chan has a built-in advantage among some Chinese American voters, for whom identity politics and representation are paramount (opens in new tab)<\/a>. To win a tough race, she has been pressing this advantage as hard as possible.<\/p>\n Her launch video prominently featured Chinatown (opens in new tab)<\/a>, where she spent her teenage years, and she spoke in Chinese (opens in new tab)<\/a> in another campaign video. She has made frequent appearances in Chinese-language media over the years, including an eight-episode \u201cTea Time\u201d video series (opens in new tab)<\/a> with Sing Tao Daily. She has been a regular presence (opens in new tab)<\/a> at Asian community events while actively networking with Asian American political activists (opens in new tab)<\/a> across the ideological spectrum. Her campaign website includes a dedicated Chinese-language section (opens in new tab)<\/a>, while other candidates\u2019 sites are in English only.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not surprising that Chan is making moves to court Chinese voters. Asians make up 37% (opens in new tab)<\/a> of San Francisco\u2019s population, with Chinese residents accounting for 22%, the largest share<\/a> among major U.S. cities. Pelosi\u2019s 11th congressional district excludes parts of the city\u2019s south side, reducing the share of Asian voters to roughly 31% (opens in new tab)<\/a>. The demographic makeup of registered voters is unclear, as voter registration does not track race or ethnicity.<\/p>\n Chinese Americans have broken nearly every political glass ceiling in San Francisco \u2014 from the Board of Supervisors to mayor to state legislator. Congress remains the last frontier. The prospect of sending the city\u2019s first Chinese representative to Washington has generated excitement in the community (opens in new tab)<\/a>, according to David Ho, a political consultant and Chinatown activist. He pointed to examples of elected officials, including former mayors Ed Lee and Art Agnos, winning office by building coalitions with strong Chinese support and noted that the Chinese electorate has continued to grow.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Ed Lee ran for mayor, he unified progressive, moderate, and conservative Chinese voters,\u201d Ho said. \u201cLet\u2019s see if Connie can replicate that.\u201d<\/p>\n Even before she entered the race, Chinese people were stopping her on the street to tell her she could make history, Chan said.<\/p>\n \u201cI am excited, too,\u201d she added. \u201cBut I\u2019m also thinking, OK, we have to run the campaign. We have to win.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the excitement is more a matter of vibe than verifiable data. Chan is confident she can earn strong support from Chinese voters but emphasized that the community is not a monolith and that she takes nobody for granted.<\/p>\n She rattled off the neighborhoods packed with Chinese restaurants and the highest concentrations of Chinese voters: \u201cI know where I\u2019m gonna find my Chinese food, but also our community,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cThere\u2019s Ocean Avenue, Portola, Irving, and Taraval, and much more. It\u2019s those relationships and roots that bring me the confidence that, as I continue to do that work, I will earn their vote.\u201d<\/p>\n Joyce Lam, director of the Chinese Progressive Association Fund, a political action group long allied with Chan, said many in the community appear energized by her candidacy.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving someone our community has worked with and experienced as a champion for workers and everyday people is very exciting,\u201d Lam said.<\/p>\n She said Chinese Americans have grown more accustomed to exercising their political power, but Chan\u2019s victory \u201cwould be historic.\u201d<\/p>\n Chinese voters on the other side<\/p>\n Of course, Chan will not win every Chinese vote. She may not even win a majority.<\/p>\n Nancy Tung, the moderate chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, said she is not persuaded by identity politics and is supporting Wiener, citing his experience at multiple levels of government.<\/p>\n \u201cCongress is a very crowded place,\u201d Tung said. \u201cIt\u2019s very different from being one of 11 members on the Board of Supervisors.\u201d<\/p>\n However, she added, racial preferences are a reality for voters, particularly among new immigrants who are less politically involved.<\/p>\n Wiener, who began his career in San Francisco nearly two decades ago, could benefit from citywide name recognition, including a well-known Chinese name, \u5a01\u5584\u9ad8 (Wei Shan Gao, which translates to \u201cauthority, kindness, tall\u201d).<\/p>\n Chakrabarti, a newcomer to local politics, is also running a strong campaign. The centimillionaire former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has changed his Chinese name twice in an effort to establish a Chinese identity on San Francisco ballots<\/a>, which are printed in both English and Chinese.<\/p>\n Chakrabarti said he recognizes the importance of the culture in San Francisco, noting that his daughter attends a Chinese bilingual school. His campaign has prioritized outreach to Chinese-speaking communities and is actively hiring (opens in new tab)<\/a> bilingual canvassers, offering higher pay.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you know folks, send them our way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Some moderate Chinese political groups remain firmly opposed to Chan. The Association for the Advancement of Asians rated Chan an \u201cF\u201d (opens in new tab)<\/a> on public safety and education-related issues during her 2024 supervisorial run.<\/p>\n The Great Highway impact<\/p>\n On the west side \u2014 which is heavily Asian American and traditionally moderate \u2014 Chan could be aided by the fight over the Great Highway, which has reshaped political alliances and shifted some moderate Asian voters toward Chan.<\/p>\n Chan was a staunch opponent of Proposition K, the 2024 ballot measure that closed the Great Highway to cars. The measure passed citywide but faced strong opposition on the west side, particularly among Asian American residents (opens in new tab)<\/a>. Wiener, while not the author of the measure, endorsed it and has been vocal in support of urbanist transportation policies.<\/p>\n Dennis Wu, a longtime moderate voter, said Chan\u2019s advocacy on the Great Highway changed his view of her, and now he\u2019s supporting her congressional run.<\/p>\n Wu did not support Chan\u2019s reelection to the Board of Supervisors in 2024. At the time, public safety dominated the political debate, and Chan was attacked by moderates<\/a> as being weak on crime.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the Great Highway changed everything,\u201d Wu said. \u201cWith Prop. K, the issue for the west side was no longer public safety. It became people\u2019s daily lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Tung agreed that the highway debate could benefit Chan politically but questioned its relevance in a congressional race.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are purely local issues,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat touches Congress is federal funding \u2014 for transit, for example. [Wiener] is extremely strong on transit and bringing home federal dollars for Muni and BART. And the next few years are going to be about fighting against Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiener\u2019s campaign cited a September poll (opens in new tab)<\/a> showing that he is more popular than Chan among Asian voters citywide. According to EMC, Wiener leads with 58% of Asian voters, followed by Chan, with 16%; Christine Pelosi, who has opted not to run for her mother\u2019s seat, with 10%; and Chakrabarti,\u00a0 6%. Chan\u2019s campaign dismissed the poll as premature, saying it was conducted in the fall before Chan announced her candidacy. The campaign also criticized Wiener over what it called his \u201cvery public and very political reversal on Gaza<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Jason Galisatus, a political consultant of Chinese descent, supported Wiener, saying Chan has often been out of step with Chinese voters, pointing to the 2022 school board and district attorney recalls.<\/p>\n \u201cIt bears repeating that Connie barely won reelection in 2024, when Prop. K was also on the ballot,\u201d Galisatus said. \u201cIt\u2019s wishful thinking that this race will be decided on this narrow issue \u2014 and wishful thinking doesn\u2019t win elections.\u201d<\/p>\n More likely than the Great Highway fight, housing and family zoning issues could draw west-side support for Chan, who\u2019s uniting lefties and NIMBY-aligned conservatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n But for Wu, those political labels matter less, and he wanted to place more value on highlighting the successes of Chinese Americans, not only in tech, AI, and business but in politics.<\/p>\n \u201cOur people are used to being quiet, brought up to stay out of politics,\u201d Wu said. \u201cYou have to stand back and admire what [Chan] had to confront herself with.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768832769_0_-S3840x2561-FPNG.png\"\/)
Chan is leaning into her Chinese American heritage in the congressional race. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\n![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768832771_706_-S3840x2560-FPNG.png\"\/)
Chan makes an impromptu appearance at a meeting at the Chinese Culture Center on Dec. 11. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768832773_145_-S3840x2562-FPNG.png\"\/)
Asians make up 37% of San Francisco\u2019s population. | Source: Jason Henry for The Standard<\/p>\n![\"Children](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762431374_717_-S3840x2560-FPNG.png\"\/)
Kids ride scooters at Sunset Dunes. | Source: Manuel Orbegozo for The Standard<\/p>\n