Key facts
- A succession race for a House seat is causing division within the Democratic delegation.
- Donor Susie Tompkins Buell alleges Nancy Pelosi is using her influence to secure endorsements for a candidate.
- Reps. Julia Brownley and Judy Chu, who endorse the same candidate, state their support is independent.
- The candidate supported by Pelosi allies also has backing from groups focused on female and Asian American representation.
- Candidate Scott Wiener is attempting to balance praise for Pelosi with an anti-establishment platform.
A contentious race for a House seat has exposed divisions within the Democratic Party, with accusations that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leveraging her influence to secure endorsements for a favored candidate. Susie Tompkins Buell, a significant Democratic donor, claimed Pelosi has pressured top Democrats to support candidate Christy Smith.
"I have spoken to people that have said, ‘She called me and I had to say yes,’" Tompkins Buell told Playbook, adding, "This is the way she operates. She’s used to it. She’s been very successful being this way."
However, at least two Democratic lawmakers who have endorsed Smith, Reps. Julia Brownley and Judy Chu, stated they made their decisions independently. They noted Smith's support from groups working to expand female and Asian American representation in the House. Chu also condemned an AI chatbot promoted by rival candidate Scott Wiener that impersonated former Rep. Connie Morella and generated racist and sexist content.
Smith's campaign, through spokesperson Ian Krager, dismissed reports of Pelosi's influence as "baseless gossip from Scott Wiener’s wealthy donors and flailing campaign." Krager stated it is difficult for Wiener and his campaign to accept that he is not universally beloved by all Democrats, contrasting his support from billionaires, Big Tech, and corporate PACs.
Supporters of Smith include Senator Adam Schiff and Representative Zoe Lofgren, both close allies of Pelosi, along with former Senator Barbara Boxer and Representatives Jared Huffman, Norma Torres, and Derek Tran. Wiener's campaign is backed by Representatives Robert Garcia, Laura Friedman, Josh Harder, Sam Liccardo, and Scott Peters.
Wiener, meanwhile, has sought to navigate the situation by praising Pelosi's record while simultaneously promoting himself as an "anti-establishment" candidate. At a recent "Women for Scott" rally, Wiener called Pelosi "the most successful, and impactful, and consequential member of Congress in the modern era. Full stop." He then added, "This seat in Congress ... does not belong to any one individual who gets to decide who occupies it. It doesn’t belong to insiders."