San Francisco – The Richmond District has become a focal point of the congressional race to succeed Nancy Pelosi, with State Senator Scott Wiener stepping up his ground game to challenge longtime Supervisor Connie Chan.
Union volunteers flood the neighborhood
On a recent Saturday morning, roughly 50 union carpenters left Wiener’s Westside headquarters in the Inner Richmond to canvass for the senator. Shortly after, about 30 union nurses, electricians and other volunteers for Chan set out from Fulton Playground Park to rally support for the supervisor.
Wiener’s new local presence
Wiener opened a satellite Westside office in the Richmond District in July. The office has served as a hub for twice‑weekly Cantonese phone‑banking and a base for campaign staff to meet residents at the Clement Street farmer’s market and other neighborhood events.
According to campaign spokesperson Joe Arellano, the senator’s housing and public‑safety positions have resonated with Richmond voters, and the campaign has targeted “disgruntled” Chan constituents who are concerned about homelessness and crime.
Spending and outreach
The campaign invested $20,000 in two neighborhood billboards promoting an AI chatbot that critiqued Chan’s record, though the ads were removed after community criticism. Wiener’s team also produced videos featuring local residents expressing disappointment with Chan’s performance, a tactic some observers describe as psychological pressure.
Election results so far
In the June 2 primary, Chan led precincts across the city’s west side and performed strongly in the outer avenues. However, Wiener finished first in many northern and eastern Richmond precincts, including the area surrounding his new office. Primary data show Wiener edged Chan by 66 votes in District 1, a three‑way contest that also included Saikat Chakrabarti, who captured 17 percent of the vote.
Party insiders note that Chakrabarti’s supporters are expected to lean toward Chan in the November runoff, while Wiener hopes to attract moderate voters who have not yet committed to either candidate.
Local perspectives
Political consultant Michael Terris warned that a complete dominance by Chan in the Richmond could influence the general election outcome. “There are moderate voters in the area Wiener can win over,” Terris said.
Richmond resident and consultant Nadia Rahman, who backs Chan, called the Wiener videos an attempt to portray Chan as losing support in her own backyard. “Our district is very much behind Supervisor Chan,” Rahman asserted.
YIMBY organizer Bobak Esfandiari praised Wiener’s approach as “rhetorically correct, philosophically correct, and politically smart,” noting that younger families in the neighborhood appreciate the senator’s work on housing and transportation.
Chan’s response
Chan remains confident, emphasizing her deep ties to working‑class residents and small‑business owners. She recalled a recent conversation with a neighbor who asked, “Connie, you’re gonna be in D.C., then who’s gonna take care of the Richmond?” Chan said her constituents continue to value her local experience.
Both campaigns plan to intensify door‑to‑door outreach and phone banking in the weeks leading up to the November primary, signaling that the Richmond District will remain a battleground for the remainder of the race.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
