The fight over the Democratic Party’s future collides with the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she would not run again capped a decades-long tenure in Congress and the upper echelons of the Democratic Party.

Now his departure also paints a clearer picture of the race to become San Francisco’s next representative in the House — and how Democrats want to chart the future of their party at a time of generational change.

The two main contenders for Pelosi’s district — Scott Wiener, a California state senator, and Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — had already entered the race before Pelosi’s decision.

Others could jump into the race in California before next June’s multiparty primaries, but the views of the two existing candidates already reflect different wings of the Democratic Party.

In interviews with NBC News, Wiener said he had a history of building diverse coalitions and implementing legislation, while Chakrabarti touted his efforts for “large-scale structural change.” These perspectives reflect the broader party debate over whether to seek policy change more through practical advances within existing systems or rather through a complete overhaul of these long-standing systems.

This is not the first time that the race to succeed a former president has also served as a litmus test for the party’s future. After then-House Speaker John Boehner resigned in 2015, the crowded Republican Party primary to fill his Ohio seat echoed the Republican Party’s broader debate over its future. Rep. Warren Davidson ultimately won the seat with the support of the conservative anti-establishment Club for Growth, which had previously fought with Boehner.

Neither Wiener nor Chakrabarti thought Pelosi’s announcement had changed the dynamics of the race much. Wiener predicted that Chakrabarti, who had focused much of his attention on Pelosi, would instead turn to attacking the state senator. Chakrabarti said he believes the race isn’t just about the former president, but that the Democratic Party needs “global change.”

“In my opinion, the real moment in the Democratic Party is do we want to return to politics as usual? Chakrabarti said in an interview, describing his opponent as “part of this normal establishment politics.”

Across the divide, Wiener presented himself as the candidate capable of truly delivering on his promises.

“It’s not enough to just say you want to accomplish

Wiener’s website touts the candidate’s record “in drafting and passing more than 100 state laws,” emphasizing his desire to advance housing and pro-LGBTQ issues.

Chakrabarti took issue with Wiener’s questions about his ability to act legislatively. He highlighted his role in crafting the Green New Deal, a progressive set of policy goals, and argued that when people mobilized around climate, it forced Democratic presidential candidates to embrace environmental proposals in 2019 and 2020. Chakrabarti argued that that push contributed to former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which included trillions of dollars to combat climate change.

Pelosi has yet to weigh in on the race, and she told NBC News last week that giving her support is not her “current plan.”

Chakrabarti declined to say whether he was in talks about potential endorsements with the likes of Ocasio-Cortez or Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Chakrabarti worked on Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.

Chakrabarti acknowledged that if he were elected in 2026, while Republicans still control the White House, he would not be able to advance goals such as establishing universal health care or developing a national bank to “fund, finance and expand affordable housing.” Instead, he said his initial goals would be to “defend” voters against Trump administration policies such as immigration raids and troop deployments and work to “force dialogue” on anti-corruption issues.

If elected, Wiener has emphasized his desire to make housing a more important issue at the federal level. Asked about similarities and differences with Pelosi, he noted that he was “very aligned” with her on issues such as expanding access to health care and said he was “a great admirer of her work.”

“I am my own person and we share many common values ​​and priorities, and I have priorities of my own,” he said.