Bay Area Political and Media Shifts

Connie Chan concedes to Scott Wiener as Salon.com prepares to close

Supervisor Connie Chan ends her bid for California District 11 with Scott Wiener holding 55.46% of the vote, national Republicans debate midterm losses, and San Francisco-founded Salon.com shuts down after 31 years.

By Lamorinda Post · Syndicated from Bay Area Chronicle
Syndicated reporting from Bay Area Chronicle · Bay Area Chronicle
Published November 10, 2026 at 9:56 PM PST · 3 min read

Late-afternoon sunlight illuminates the classical dome and granite columns of San Francisco City Hall. · Bay Area Chronicle Photo

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San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan has conceded the race to succeed longtime House Representative Nancy Pelosi in California's 11th Congressional District to State Senator Scott Wiener, according to Patch San Francisco. The local transition arrives alongside national Republican recriminations over losing both chambers of Congress and the announcement that San Francisco-founded online publication Salon.com is shutting down after 31 years.

Connie Chan Concedes District 11 Contest to Scott Wiener

Updated election returns showed Wiener leading the District 11 race with 97,876 votes (55.46%) to Chan's 78,594 votes (44.54%), though the Associated Press had not formally called the contest as of 10 a.m. with 43% of votes remaining to be counted. Chan, who earned Pelosi's endorsement and campaigned on labor, social programs, and tenant protections, stated Wednesday evening that after reviewing the results and remaining ballots, her campaign did not have a clear path to victory and congratulated Wiener.

Wiener thanked Chan for a hard-fought campaign, paid tribute to former Representatives Phil Burton, Sala Burton, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and noted that his election makes him the first LGBTQ person to represent any part of Northern California in the House. Recalling stepping off the escalator at Castro Muni Station in 1997, Wiener said he would focus on building housing, improving public transit, and creating new parks.

National Midterm Recriminations Follow Congressional Shift

Across the country, Democratic candidates won contests in traditionally Republican states including Kansas, Iowa, and Texas, sweeping Republicans out of control of both the House and Senate, according to a report in the San Francisco Examiner. While President Donald Trump told The New York Times that the losses occurred because he was not on the ticket, Vice President JD Vance — who is considering a 2028 presidential run — wrote on social media Wednesday morning that the war in Iran caused the defeat.

Outgoing Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon attributed the losses to the president's unpopularity, tariffs, and endorsements of candidates such as Texas nominee Ken Paxton and South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham, while Nebraska Republican candidate Brinker Harding pointed to high gas prices and tariffs. Iowa nominee Rep. Ashley Hinson, Michigan nominee Mike Rogers, and Ohio Sen. Jon Husted — who lost to Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown — also fell in their races. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota issued a 177-word statement focusing on the first two years of Trump's second term, while House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the president and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, Michigan strategist Jason Roe, Colorado consultant Dick Wadhams, former Reagan aide Craig Shirley, and former California Republican Party executive director Jon Fleischman weighed in on the fallout.

Salon.com Announces Shutdown After 31 Years

In Bay Area media news, San Francisco-founded online news and opinion website Salon.com announced on its website that it is shutting down after 31 years because its publishing model is no longer sustainable, as reported by KCBS Radio. KCBS News anchor Rebecca Goodeyon discussed the publication's 31-year history with Salon.com co-founder Laura Miller, who serves as a books and culture columnist for Slate.com.

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