Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will likely soon be out of a job, and according to Politico, her daughter could be in the running to fill her vacant seat should she choose to exit from a life of public service after Republicans take control of the House.
Christine Pelosi, a high-powered Democratic strategist in San Francisco, hasn’t declared her intentions to pursue her mother’s seat, should it open up, but some have pointed out that her messaging and social media posts as of late are sounding more like someone prepping for a run.
Politico lists Christine Pelosi and California state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) as top contenders for the seat, which has been held by Nancy Pelosi since 1987.
The Examiner noted: “Wiener has represented the city in the state Senate since 2016 and previously served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.”
“Formidable”
David Campos, a former San Francisco supervisor, thinks the race between the two would be intense.
“I think each of them would be formidable candidates,” Campos said.
Others echoed that sentiment, pointing out that Christine Pelosi has a distinctly massive advantage on the name recognition front and the political street credit that comes along with that.
“She’s very thoughtful about how she uses her name, because she knows it does have weight,” said Adama Iwu, a political consultant.
Observers say that if Nancy Pelosi “activates” her political machine, which she’s built over nearly four decades, Christine Pelosi could probably have the seat, even against an experienced candidate like Weiner, who’s already served in office for 10 years.
Should Nancy Pelosi retire from Congress, the open seat is basically a lifetime appointment for a strong and connected liberal Democrat, as the seat has been held by only two people since 1975.
Social media reacts
The reaction to the possibility of Christine Pelosi filling in for her mother was met with mixed reactions across social media.
“California is controlled by elite political dynasties. It’s pretty obvious that Christine has relied on this for her entire career,” one Twitter user wrote.