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Could China hawk Nancy Pelosi’s pick for US Congress influence Beijing ties?

While local bread-and-butter issues will dominate the November election in the US, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement of Connie Chan to succeed her in…

By Samantha Johnson / July 5, 2026
While local bread-and-butter issues will dominate the November election in the US, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement of Connie Chan to succeed her in Congress could lead to opportunities at the margins of US-China relations, analysts said.
Pelosi, the first female speaker, now honoured as speaker emerita, is one of Washington’s fiercest China hawks. Chan, 47, a San Francisco supervisor, is a progressive of Chinese ethnicity.

According to observers, Chan’s candidacy opens up a range of possibilities, from introducing “a narrative different from Washington’s simple confrontation” to preserving vital local-level ties between the two countries.

Chan advanced last month to the November run-off for California’s 11th Congressional District, finishing 11 percentage points behind State Senator Scott Wiener in the top-two primary.

The two will compete for a coveted House seat that has not been open for nearly 40 years.

Congressional candidate Connie Chan takes part in San Francisco’s 56th annual Pride parade on June 28. Photo: AP
Congressional candidate Connie Chan takes part in San Francisco’s 56th annual Pride parade on June 28. Photo: AP

Pelosi, who first entered the House in 1987 and stepped down from the speakership in 2023, announced last year that she would not seek re-election. Her Congress career ends in January.

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