California State Sen. Scott Wiener formally launched his campaign for Congress on Wednesday, framing his bid to represent San Francisco as a fight to defend democracy and civil rights while warning that the United States is “slipping into fascism.”
Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco in the state legislature, announced his campaign in a post on X, declaring, “It’s official: I’m running for Congress to represent San Francisco!”
“My family escaped fascism in Europe. I never thought the United States would slip into fascism like we’re seeing today,” Wiener stated in the ad. “San Francisco has always been on the right side of history, standing up for democracy and civil rights even when it’s hard. I’m Scott Wiener. I’m running for Congress to defend San Francisco, our values, our people, and the Constitution of the United States with everything I have.”
The announcement follows reports that Wiener will challenge former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for her long-held congressional seat in 2026. Pelosi, 85, has not yet said whether she intends to run again. Wiener’s decision comes amid a shifting political landscape in San Francisco, where Pelosi also faces a separate primary challenge from former Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s onetime chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti.
In his campaign post, Wiener pledged to “fight Trump’s takeover” and “build the future our city and country deserve.” He cited his record on housing, healthcare, clean energy, and civil rights, adding, “I’ve delivered on housing, healthcare, clean energy, and civil rights – and I’ll do it again.”
The campaign video also highlighted his legislative record and message to voters. “I’ve stood up to violence and hate my entire life,” Wiener remarked. “Trump and his Maga extremists don’t scare me. They won’t stop me or the people of our great city from fighting back and doing what’s right. In Congress, I’ll continue holding insurance companies accountable so families get the medical care they need, and protect LGBTQ kids and families. I wrote and passed California’s law banning ICE from wearing ski masks like secret police, and I’ll continue my fight for more housing so we have an affordable, inclusive, innovative city.”
Wiener’s record in the state legislature has drawn national attention. As previously reported by Breitbart News, he has sponsored a series of widely debated bills, including measures to make California a “sanctuary state” for minors seeking gender-transition procedures, to decriminalize loitering laws later linked to an increase in street prostitution, and to reduce penalties for certain same-sex statutory rape cases. He also authored SB 79, a housing law that overrides local zoning restrictions to allow high-rise developments near public transit.
Wiener previously accused the Trump administration of building a “fascist police state” for expanding detention facilities holding criminal migrants and criticized what he described as “ICE secret police.”
Following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk last month year, Wiener expressed sympathy with those who hated Kirk, calling him “a vile bigot who did immeasurable harm.” His comments drew immediate backlash from social media users who accused him of lying about Kirk and exploiting his death for attention.
In his closing message, Wiener urged voters to join his campaign: “We can’t expect anything less from San Francisco’s member of Congress. Join me now, before everything we believe in is lost for good.”
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