Less than a year after losing her mayoral reelection bid to Lurie who has become one of the most popular mayors in SF history, London Breed may have found her next political chapter—and it could take her all the way to Washington, D.C. The former San Francisco mayor is "seriously considering" a run for Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat, she confirmed to multiple news outlets this week.
Breed's phones started "ringing off the hook" Thursday morning, according to KTVU, after Pelosi announced she would retire at the end of her current term in 2027. The legendary House Speaker, who has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987, made the historic announcement just two days after securing a major victory for a California redistricting ballot measure.
"I called a couple of people just to see what their thoughts were," Breed told The San Francisco Standard. Among those people: her longtime mentor and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who attended a political retreat Thursday where he told attendees that Breed had called him that morning to discuss running for Congress.
A "Once-In-A-Generation" Opportunity
For Breed, who served as San Francisco's first Black woman mayor from 2018 to 2025, the timing is notable. She conceded the November 2024 mayoral race to Daniel Lurie, a political outsider and Levi Strauss heir who'd never held elected office. Now, barely a year later, she's eyeing a chance to represent the city she grew up in on the national stage.
"It's important that San Franciscans have options," Breed told KQED. "I want to explore whether I could potentially be one of those options." She emphasized that she hasn't made any final decisions but is "humbled" by the enthusiastic response from supporters urging her to run.
The race is already shaping up as a heavyweight matchup. State Senator Scott Wiener announced his candidacy last month, even before Pelosi's retirement became official. Wiener, a moderate Democrat and Breed ally who formally declared his run in October, has already raised over $900,000 and secured endorsements from key political figures.
A Familiar Political Network
Breed's relationship with Willie Brown runs deep—she first worked on his 1995 mayoral campaign while still in college, and later interned in his administration. Brown helped place her in a job with the Treasure Island Development Authority in 1999, launching her career in public service, according to CalMatters.
Though Breed once famously declared she didn't "give a fuck about Willie Brown" during her 2012 supervisor campaign—a statement that paradoxically solidified her reputation as independent-minded—The Standard reported the two have remained close over the years. "I laughed my ass off," Brown said when recalling Breed's statements, "But I knew she was going to have to live with it."
Crowded Field Taking Shape
Breed would enter a race that's already attracting serious attention. Progressive tech entrepreneur Saikat Chakrabarti, AOC's former chief of staff, has been campaigning since February and held a launch event this week that drew more than 600 supporters to The Chapel in the Mission. The 39-year-old has pledged to self-fund much of his campaign from his estimated $200 million fortune from founding engineering work at Stripe.
Other potential candidates include San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and possibly Christine Pelosi, Nancy's daughter and a longtime Democratic Party strategist. However, early polling shows Christine Pelosi with just 21% favorability, according to IBTimes, compared to Wiener's commanding 61%.
From Mayor's Office to Congress?
If Breed decides to run, she'd be betting that San Francisco voters are ready to send her to Washington despite rejecting her for a second full mayoral term. Her nearly seven years leading the city through the pandemic, homelessness crises, and economic challenges drew mixed reviews. According to KQED, voter frustration over crime, homelessness, and perceived City Hall corruption contributed to her defeat.
But Congress isn't the mayor's office, and Breed's political calculus may be different. She told KQED that she's currently working as a policy adviser to the Aspen Institute and plans to have "many more conversations in the coming days and weeks" before making a final decision. Her stint at the Aspen Institute runs through the end of the year.
"Policy has to be about people, and it's one of the reasons why I love being in the arena for public service," she said. "There is nothing in the world like it."
Political Dynamics
The race could become a proxy battle for San Francisco's political future. Wiener and Breed both occupy the moderate Democratic lane, while Chakrabarti represents the progressive wing with his calls for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and public ownership of PG&E, according to SFist.
Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman confirmed he'd heard rumors of Breed's potential run at a political retreat Thursday. When asked about the development, he told The Standard, "I can't offer her advice. I'm supporting Scott Wiener."
Despite their alliance during Breed's mayoral tenure—Wiener endorsed her reelection campaign—the two could now find themselves competing for the same donors and voters. "That's probably gonna be hard for a lot of people, but Scott and I have always had a great relationship and hope that continues," Breed told The Standard.
What's Next
Breed emphasized her respect for Pelosi's legacy in her public comments. "We need to pause and really reflect on Nancy Pelosi and her legacy and what she did for San Francisco and for our democracy," she told KQED. "She has been an extraordinary fighter, and she's been courageous in these battles and very aggressive in trying to combat some of the most challenging times we have faced."
The June 2026 primary is still months away, giving Breed time to make her decision. According to CNN, whoever Pelosi eventually endorses would become a frontrunner—though the Speaker Emerita has given no indication of whom she might support.
For now, Breed remains noncommittal but clearly intrigued by the possibility. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity," she said, "and San Franciscans should have options for something this important."
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