CCAH and California’s affordable housing advocates are keeping a close eye on a significant political development in San Francisco. Matt Haney, who currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, has launched a campaign for the State Senate seat currently held by Scott Wiener. The move comes ahead of the November 3 election and reflects growing expectations that Wiener could win his race for Congress, creating a vacancy in the Senate before the end of his term.

Haney enters the race with substantial institutional support. His campaign announced endorsements from 52 Assembly colleagues, including Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, and numerous legislators from throughout California. The campaign also reported support from several labor organizations representing nurses, educators, construction workers, laborers, and Teamsters.

For CCAH, Haney is a familiar figure. As chair of the Assembly’s housing committee, he has played a prominent role in legislative discussions involving housing production, affordability, tenant policy, and efforts to address California’s housing shortage. According to his campaign announcement, he has focused much of his legislative work on housing production and affordability, along with public safety, workers’ rights, downtown revitalization, and addiction treatment. The early launch of the campaign demonstrates considerable confidence in Wiener’s congressional prospects. The two have already endorsed one another, with Wiener backing Haney for the Senate seat and Haney supporting Wiener’s bid for Congress.

The race is not uncontested. Christine Pelosi, attorney, Democratic National Committee member, and daughter of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, announced her candidacy for the seat nearly a year ago and has been actively campaigning throughout San Francisco and San Mateo County. For the affordable housing community, the contest bears watching not only because of its high-profile candidates, but also because the outcome could influence housing policy discussions in Sacramento for years to come. The Senate remains one of the most important venues for shaping legislation affecting affordable housing finance, production, land use, and preservation across California.

CCAH will continue monitoring this race and other key statewide contests as the 2026 election season unfolds. With housing affordability remaining one of California’s defining challenges, the leaders elected to statewide office and the Legislature will play a critical role in determining the state’s housing agenda in the years ahead.