Pelosi endorses San Francisco official Dean Preston
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday threw her support behind San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston as he faces criticism from moderate Democrats in the city.
Pelosi's campaign confirmed the endorsement to The Hill and that she will vote for him Wednesday night during the San Francisco Democratic County central committee meeting, which will vote on local endorsements.
"She has stood strong against [former President] Trump and MAGA Republicans at every turn, and has been a tireless fighter for our LGBTQ community, reproductive freedom, voting rights, and more. Here in District 5, Speaker Emerita Pelosi has championed crucial federal investments in our neighborhoods," Preston said in a post on Facebook. "I'm so grateful for her support in this race."
Politico was the first to report the endorsement.
Preston is the only Democratic Socialist on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, which establishes city policies and adopts ordinances and resolutions. The board has often included politicians who went on to gain national fame, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
He has faced backlash from moderate Democrats and is known for his advocacy for police reform and harm-reduction drug policies, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He has voted against the city budget for the past three years, arguing Mayor London Breed (D) was spending too much on police instead of funding alternatives, the Chronicle added.
He is running against two moderates, including tech entrepreneur and former Obama administration staffer Bilal Mahmood, to represent District 5 in the city.
The House campaign arm is expected to endorse Mahmood or Preston's other moderate opponent, Autumn Looijen, a political activist and former tech worker.
Preston made national headlines last year when he squared off against tech billionaire Elon Musk after he left the social media platform X, citing the uptick in hate speech and disinformation since Musk acquired the company in 2022.
The San Francisco Standard reported Preston's final straw was when Musk called for his imprisonment for supporting legislation that would limit when store security guards can draw their firearms.
Musk later pledged to donate $100,00 to kick Preston from office, though it is not clear if he ever gave the money for the race.