Dems Quietly Preparing for Pelosi's Exit

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., could step down from Congress if Republicans take control of the House, and Democrats are quietly working to find a successor, Politico reports.

"Nancy Pelosi is so well respected and so well appreciated that no one is looking forward to seeing her leave, and the last thing anybody wants is to be viewed as making even the littlest insult to the speaker," said Todd David, formerly the political director for California state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat seen as a contender for her seat. "From a pure practical, political point of view, no one wants to offend Nancy Pelosi."

Politico notes that Weiner has been making numerous public appearances at events focused on housing, technology, and addiction, major issues in the San Francisco area, prompting speculation that he's preparing to run for the congressional district that includes the city.

Pelosi's daughter, Democrat activist Christine Pelosi, is seen as a contender for the seat if Nancy Pelosi steps down, though she has not publicly commented on the possibility. Christine often acts as a surrogate for her mother and has expressed similar positions to the speaker.

Weiner, seen as a centrist by many San Francisco progressives, recently advocated for liberal policies such as supervised drug-use sites and the decriminalization of psychedelic drugs.

"Given the fact that these positions don't have term limits, and given the ATM that is San Francisco, this is going to be a brawl," said Democratic consultant Max Szabo. "No one is going to leave anything on the field."

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