Washington, DC – Equality PAC released the following statement congratulating Congressman-elect Scott Wiener on his victory in California’s 11th Congressional District. His election marks a historic milestone for LGBTQ representation: for the first time, San Francisco, one of the birthplaces of the LGBTQ rights movement, will have an openly LGBTQ representative in Congress. Wiener will succeed Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in Congress.
“Scott Wiener’s victory is a historic moment for San Francisco and for LGBTQ representation nationwide,” said Equality PAC. From Harvey Milk’s groundbreaking leadership to the generations of advocates who have carried the fight for equality forward, San Francisco has always helped shape the LGBTQ rights movement. Now, for the first time ever, the community will have an openly LGBTQ voice in Congress. Scott has spent his career turning that legacy into action – and he will bring the same determination and commitment to equality to Washington.”
“Scott also has the honor of succeeding Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, whose extraordinary career and historic leadership have left an indelible mark on San Francisco, California, and our country. We congratulate Speaker Pelosi on her remarkable service and thank her for the many years she has spent fighting for her LGBTQ constituents and advancing our community’s progress in Congress,” Equality PAC continued. “Scott will carry that legacy and responsibility forward with his own record of delivering results and standing up for San Francisco. Equality PAC was proud to support Scott from the beginning, investing in his campaign because we believed in his ability to make history and represent San Francisco genuinely and effectively in Congress. We look forward to working alongside him as he fights for California families, advances equality, and helps build a stronger Pro-Equality Majority.”
For the past 28 years, Senator Scott Wiener has worked day and night for San Franciscans, never giving up until the job is done. As a State Senator, member of the Board of Supervisors, Deputy City Attorney, and longtime community leader, he has championed progressive policies – including authoring and passing more than 100 state laws – to improve affordability and make San Franciscans safer, happier, healthier, and more secure.
Scott has never shied away from tough, important issues even at personal cost. He took on a broken status quo to help build a statewide and national pro-housing movement, despite a tidal wave of personal attacks. He aggressively advances a pro-LGBTQ legislative agenda despite intense political attacks from the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr., and Ted Cruz, in addition to an avalanche of death threats. Scott Wiener always puts the community first, even if he pays a personal price for doing so in today’s toxic political environment.
Scott served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Supervisor Harvey Milk, where he authored a number of first-in-the-nation laws, including mandating fully paid parental leave for all working parents and requiring water recycling and solar power in new developments. He focused extensively on housing and public transportation, authoring laws to expedite approval of affordable housing, legalize new in-law units, and tie public transportation funding to population growth.
Scott is the son of a small business owner and a public school teacher, and attended public schools. He received a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. He spent a year in Chile on a Fulbright Scholarship doing historical research. He has lived in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood since 1997.
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Equality PAC’s primary mission is simple: to elect more LGBTQ+ persons to Congress. Individuals who will have a seat at the table, impact the debate, and humanize the LGBTQ community’s concerns. Beyond this goal, Equality PAC also supports strong LGBTQ community allies who will proudly and unapologetically stand with us in the fight to pass the Equality Act and equal protection under our nation’s laws. All of the funds that Equality PAC raises are directed to re-elect and expand our small – but mighty – LGBTQ caucus and to elect a pro-Equality Majority in the House of Representatives.
In the short time Equality PAC has existed, it has played an unmatched role in making history for the LGBTQ community — electing LGBTQ leaders at the federal level such as current House Members Sharice Davis (KS); Ritchie Torres (NY); Becca Balint (VT); Robert Garcia (CA); Eric Sorensen (IL); Angie Craig (MN); Chris Pappas (NH), Julie Johnson (TX); Emily Randall (WA); and Sarah McBride (DE).
With the elections of Julie, Emily, and Sarah two years ago, we not only made history by electing the first openly LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Texas or the South; the first ever queer Latina elected to Congress; and the first trans person ever elected to Congress — but we also DOUBLED the number of LGBTQ women in the House from three to six. And for the first time ever – there is near gender parity within the LGBTQ caucus with six women and seven men serving together in the House. This is an incredible accomplishment. On top of this, six of the 13 LGBTQ persons serving right now in the House are persons of color. These are incredible accomplishments for our community and its representation in Congress.
Already this cycle, Equality PAC has made history with Michigan State Senate President Jeremy Moss — who recently won the Democratic Primary in MI-11 and is all-but-certain to win the general election for this “Safe Democrat” open seat. Once elected and sworn in, Jeremy will be the first LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Michigan. Equality PAC has also made history with Janelle Sarauw, who will be the first LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Equality PAC currently has endorsed 4 additional non-incumbent LGBTQ candidates for the 2026 midterms, including three on the DCCC’s Red2Blue list: JoAnna Mendoza (AZ-06); Marni von Wilpert (CA-48); Cait Conley (NY-17); Scott Wiener (CA-11); and J.D. Ford (IN-05).