Connie Chan, a Democrat endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to run for California’s 11th congressional district, has proposed a "full arms embargo on the Israeli government." During a televised debate on October 3, 2026, Chan stated that she would vote to "end a genocide in Gaza and to end an apartheid state" if elected to Congress. Chan, who currently serves as a San Francisco supervisor, is competing against fellow Democrat and California state Senator Scott Wiener, as Pelosi, 86, has chosen not to seek re-election.
The upcoming midterm elections will determine all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats, with both parties aiming for control of Congress. Pelosi has historically supported Israel, opposing efforts to boycott or sanction the country and voting in favor of military aid. Chan emphasized the need for prioritizing humanitarian aid and indicated that she would not support funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Wiener has also characterized Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and has expressed opposition to funding the Israeli military and the provision of offensive weapons. He criticized the Israeli government, stating, "This government, and it’s not just [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, is an absolute abomination, in my view, in terms of what it has inflicted on Gaza, in terms of Israel empowering settler violence and land grabs in the West Bank."
The congressional race occurs amid ongoing divisions regarding U.S. support for Israel. Recently, nearly all Senate Democrats supported an unsuccessful effort to mandate a State Department report on Israel’s human rights practices, including the deaths of nine Americans in the occupied West Bank. Additionally, several House members introduced the Stop the Settlements Act, which seeks to impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.