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Things heated up Wednesday night in the race for the U.S. Congressional seat that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will leave behind when she retires.
At the UC Law San Francisco facilities near Civic Center, three candidates for that office faced off in the first major debate of that race. The public forum was hosted by the California Working Families Party, the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, and the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club.
The three candidates highlighted at this forum were San Francisco District 1 Supervisor and Budget Chair Connie Chan, former tech worker and former Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and California State Senator and former San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener.
The California Working Families Party said that more than 2,000 people RSVPed to this event, and that so many people attended that they used overflow space to have a separate viewing.
The forum lasted for two hours and was moderated by Bay Area Reporter news editor Cynthia Laird and Mission Local Managing Editor Joe Eskenazi.
Chan emphasized her experience balancing San Francisco’s budget and her focus on the needs of working people.
“That is what we have done together, to make sure that the most vulnerable have the resources that they need, so that they can thrive in San Francisco, without selling San Francisco,” Chan said
Chakrabarti highlighted his work on the Green New Deal and also framed himself as part of the progressive movement kicked off by New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
“We’re going to have to take on not just MAGA republicans, but corporate money, and the failed democratic establishment. We need to completely change the direction and leadership of the Democratic party,” Chakrabarti said.
Wiener touted his track record of getting state laws passed and his focus on housing policy.
“We are at a moment in time, where we need Democrats, who don’t just talk, who don’t just grandstand, Democrats who know how to build the diverse coalitions to turn progressive ideas into progressive laws,” Wiener said.
All three candidates spoke out against President Donald Trump (all said the president has committed multiple impeachable offenses), corporate money, and billionaires.
All three of the candidates also alluded to San Francisco’s track record of producing politicians who influence progressive politics nationally and made the case for why they should be next to take on the role.
“There weren’t [any] surprises, kind of expected to hear what we’re hearing, but it’s still good to come and let them articulate and see the responses to what they’re saying,” said Julie Fisher of San Francisco.
Fisher said she lives in San Francisco’s Richmond District, where she has liked Chan’s leadership locally and plans to support Chan in the election.
Others left the event still weighing their options.
“I really have to do more research. I think I’m really undecided right now, but this is a good first taste,” said David Chen of San Francisco.
The candidates will be racing to differentiate themselves and win over voters in the months leading up to the primary election in June.
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Alyssa Goard
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