Opinion: Why I'm Running for Congress in Nancy Pelosi's District

After nearly 40 years of Nancy Pelosi representing San Francisco in Congress, the seat is finally open. This is a rare generational opportunity - and San Francisco voters deserve more than just another Democrat promising more of the same.

I am running as the Republican candidate for California's 11th Congressional District because one-party rule has failed too many people. Despite incredible wealth from the technology sector, San Francisco struggles with sky-high housing costs, visible homelessness, open drug use, retail theft, and a feeling that government serves insiders rather than residents.

I am not a wealthy man. I drive a 20-year-old BMW. I am not a social conservative or an ideologue. I support gay marriage and abortion rights. But I also believe that government should make life easier, not harder, for the people it serves.

While a student at Stanford in the early 1980s, I served as a U.S. Coast Guard reservist at Station Fort Point in San Francisco's Presidio. As a Second Class Boatswain's Mate, I performed search and rescue operations on the Bay. That experience taught me that public service must be measured by real results - not good intentions or years in office.

Today, San Francisco spends roughly $100,000 to $300,000 per homeless person annually when you include policing and emergency services. Yet the tents and fentanyl deaths remain. For that kind of money, we could place every homeless individual into mandatory drug treatment or psychiatric care. Compassion without accountability is not compassion - it's neglect.

We must also dramatically increase housing supply by cutting red tape so teachers, nurses, and working families can actually afford to live here. And we need to stop driving away the "tech bros" and innovative companies that generate the tax revenue that funds everything else. When the golden goose feels unwelcome, the whole city eventually suffers.

I strongly support a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and their immediate families. The extraordinary success of the Pelosi family's investment portfolio while Nancy held power raises serious questions about fairness and conflicts of interest.

My opponent Scott Wiener and the current political machine have had more than enough time. Too many of their policies - from soft-on-crime approaches to burdensome regulations - have made life harder for everyday San Franciscans.

This race is not about left versus right. It's about results versus rhetoric. It's about whether San Francisco will continue down the same path or finally demand better.

I'm running because voters deserve a real choice and a clear alternative. After four decades of the same machine, it's time for accountability, pragmatism, and fresh thinking.

I respectfully ask for your consideration.

David Ganezer is the longtime publisher of the Santa Monica Observer and the Republican candidate for California's 11th Congressional District. Donate to the Campaign here.