YIMBY champion Scott Wiener will run for Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat

(CN) — Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener, who has made a name for himself by championing policies that make it easier to build multifamily housing, announced on Wednesday that he’s running for Congress.

The 55-year-old Wiener is seeking San Francisco’s main congressional seat, currently held by one of the totemic figures in the Democratic Party — 85-year-old former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who still hasn’t said whether or not she plans on running for a 21st term. According to Politico, Pelosi will announce her plans next month.

In his video announcement, posted to the social media platform X, Wiener said that as congressman he would “defend San Francisco,” a likely reference to President Donald Trump’s call to deploy the National Guard in the famously left-wing Northern California city, supposedly to fight crime — which is down 26% this year compared to the same time last year.

“Trump and his MAGA extremists don’t scare me,” Wiener says in the video.

If he wins, Wiener would be the first gay person to represent San Francisco in any federal elected office. He is also Jewish, and known for his progressive positions on trans rights and immigration. He recently authored the No Secret Police Act, a bill that makes it illegal for federal immigration agents to wear masks while working.

But Wiener’s signature issue has been housing, having authored numerous bill aimed at increasing housing density in major California cities. That push has made him a hero of “Yes In My Backyard” activists, or YIMBYs, and an enemy of those wishing to preserve existing housing stock, sometimes derisively called NIMBYs. Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment in the field came this year with the passage of Senate Bill 79, which allows developers to build up to nine-story apartment buildings near transit stops, overriding a panoply of local zoning laws.

Wiener’s status as the chief YIMBY has earned him the notice of prominent national journalists like Ezra Klein, himself a pro-density advocate.

And yet his announcement video played down Wiener’s work on housing, and emphasized his willingness to take on Trump.

“My family escaped fascism in Europe,” he says in the video. “I never thought the United States would slip into fascism like we’re seeing today.”

Should Pelosi decide to seek another term in office, Wiener will face an uphill battle against a well-funded, nationally famous candidate. But if Pelosi retires, he will likely face a number of progressive rivals, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former campaign manager, Saikat Chakrabarti.

Pelosi’s preferred successor might be San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan — unless Pelosi’s daughter Christine, a party organizer, jumps in the race. Former Mayor London Breed could also throw her hat in.

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