Democratic Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco is officially running for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s seat.

Wiener's long awaited announcement came even before Pelosi made her own decision on whether she'd retire or run for another term.

Wiener is best known for pushing legislation in Sacramento that speeds up development of new housing by blowing holes in California's landmark environmental laws.

Those laws, housing advocates say, are too often weaponized to indefinitely delay projects.

Wiener pushed for a controversial new law this year that speeds up construction of apartment buildings near public transit stops in the state's largest metro areas.

He also authored a new law that bans Ice agents from wearing ski masks to conceal their identities.

But rather than highlight his many legislative accompli.. the three term state senator spent the majority of his launch video promising to fight back against President Donald Trump's agenda and defend his city, which the president has frequently and repeatedly disparaged.

Wiener joins a race that also includes progressive challenger Saikat Chakrabarti, the former chief of staff to New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Speaker Pelosi, who made history as the first woman to lead the US House of Representatives, announced in early November that she will retire at the end of 2026 and not seek a 21st term in Congress.

I will not be seeking reelection to Congress with a grateful heart.

I look forward to.. year of service as your proud representative.

Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987 and led her party in the House from the George W. Bush administration through former President Joe Biden's time in office.

Her retirement, which comes amid Democrats cries for a new generation of leadership, sets the stage for a showdown between a progress.. and a well known moderate state senator.

For CalMatters, I'm Maya C. Miller.