UMVA has learned that California State Senator Scott Wiener is on track to advance to the November general election in the highly anticipated race for California’s 11th Congressional District, a seat that has been held by Nancy Pelosi for nearly 40 years.
With a significant lead in the June 2 primary, Wiener secured 41.3% of the vote, outpacing his closest rival, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who garnered 28.6% of the vote, and former AOC chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, who trailed behind in third place. Under California’s top-two primary system, Wiener will face Chan, or whoever ultimately finishes second, in the fall.
The district’s heavily blue leanings make it likely that Wiener will win the general election. Wiener, a 56-year-old openly gay Harvard Law graduate and former San Francisco supervisor, has built a reputation as one of California’s most extreme politicians, with a record of legislation that has drawn intense backlash from conservatives, law enforcement, parents, women’s rights advocates, and even some moderate Democrats in San Francisco.
One of Wiener’s most contentious laws is the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act, which he authored and Governor Gavin Newsom signed in 2020. The law requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to house transgender, non-binary, and intersex inmates according to their self-identified “gender identity,” rather than biological sex, sparking concerns about women’s safety and potential assault risks.
Wiener has also faced criticism for his role in weakening California’s HIV criminalization laws with Senate Bill 239, which reduced penalties for knowingly exposing someone to HIV from a felony to a misdemeanor in many cases. Additionally, he has taken a hard stance against federal immigration enforcement with Senate Bill 747, the No Kings Act, which allows Californians to sue ICE, Border Patrol, and other federal agents in state court for alleged constitutional violations.
Wiener’s legislative history includes a range of progressive policies, including Senate Bill 145, which extended judicial discretion on sex-offender registry requirements, and Senate Bill 107, making California a “refuge” for transgender youth and families fleeing red-state restrictions. He has also championed criminal justice reforms, reducing penalties for nonviolent drug offenses and automatically sealing court records for gender marker and name changes.
As Wiener moves forward to the general election, his progressive policies and reputation as a champion of social justice and human rights will likely energize his base. However, his opponents and critics argue that his laws and proposals have prioritized the rights of certain groups over the safety and well-being of others, sparking heated debates about the future of California and the nation.
