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Mayor London Breed speaks during a dedication ceremony of Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) Way, the block on Grove Street between Franklin Street and Van Ness Avenue as U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi, conductor and pianist Michael Tilson Thomas and fami ((Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images))

SAN FRANCISCO – Former San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Wednesday announced that she would not be running for election to replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress.

“I believe deeply in public service, and I also believe deeply in this Democratic Party and the progress we have fought so hard to make,” Breed said in a press release. “At a time when our democracy is under real threat, we cannot afford to turn our energy inward or tear one another down. Our focus must be on protecting rights, expanding opportunity, and defeating the forces that want to take us backward.

“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to pursue a run for Congress. This moment calls for unity, strength, and a commitment to lifting each other up, not creating more division. I will continue fighting for the people of San Francisco and for the values that define us as Democrats: fairness, dignity, and a future where every community can thrive. That work has always been bigger than any one campaign or any one office, and I remain fully committed to it.”

The backstory:

Pelosi announced earlier this month that she would not seek reelection to the congressional seat she has held for nearly 40 years. The news created widespread speculation about who would run to replace her.

Breed, shortly after Pelosi’s announcement, said she was “seriously considering” running for the seat, and that she wanted to continue working in public service and serving San Francisco.

Breed became the mayor of San Francisco following the death of her predecessor, Ed Lee. She served briefly as acting mayor before being elected to serve the remainder of Lee’s term.

Dig deeper:

Breed is not the only supposed contender who has declined to enter the race. Speculation that Pelosi’s daughter, Christine Pelosi, would run to replace her mother was put to rest when the younger Pelosi, an attorney, author and party organizer, announced that she would instead seek election to the California State Senate.

There are two candidates already vying for the seat.

State Senator Scott Wiener announced his candidacy in October, prior to Pelosi’s retirement announcement. Wiener was first elected to state senate in 2016 and has made a name for himself by taking on policy issues such as increasing housing density and securing funding for city transit.

If elected, he would be the first openly gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress.

Software engineer and political activist Saikat Chakrabarti announced in 2024 that he intended to challenge Pelosi for the seat in the 2026 election.

Chakrabarti was a founding engineer at payment processing company Stripe, and was a top campaign adviser to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

He later served as Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff and as director of organizing technology for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.

He has never held public office.

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