San Francisco politics is rarely dull, but 2026 is shaping up to be particularly eventful. Nancy Pelosi, the first and only woman elected U.S. House speaker, has announced her retirement after nearly four decades serving San Francisco in Congress. The race to succeed her is wide-open, though State Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan have already thrown their hats in. 

Meanwhile, Mayor Daniel Lurie starts his second year in office with high approval ratings and ambitious plans to boost housing construction and overhaul the City Charter. He’s also still facing fallout from a bungled effort to appoint a supervisor in the city’s Sunset District. His first pick, a former pet store owner with no political experience, resigned after allegations over unsanitary conditions and poor management at her small business. 

We’ll check in with some of the city’s top political reporters to talk about Pelosi’s legacy, what to expect from the Lurie administration, and how the city will cope with federal cuts and Trump’s ongoing crackdown on Democratic cities.

Speaker photos courtesy the speakers; San Francisco City Hall photo by Jose Mª Izquierdo Galiot.