Nancy Pelosi breaks silence to endorse San Francisco supervisor as successor

Nancy Pelosi on Monday endorsed Connie Chan , a San Francisco supervisor, in the race to succeed her as the city’s representative in Congress, calling her the candidate who “stands above the rest”. Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of the House, will retire at the end of her term and had not yet weighed in on the contested primary for the San Francisco district she has held for nearly 40 years. But as early mail-in ballots trickle in ahead of the 2 June primary, Pelosi declared Chan the “leader best prepared to carry forward the fight for San Francisco in the Congress”. “At a time when fundamental freedoms and democratic values are under assault, we need a leader in Congress who is prepared to fight – forcefully and effectively,” Pelosi said in a letter to residents. In a video clip released on Monday, Pelosi is seated next to Chan, a progressive Democrat with ties to local labor unions, against a backdrop with an image of the Golden Gate Bridge. “I know and love this district,” Pelosi says, patting Chan gently on the back. “I know the Congress, and I know Connie. …