Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi‘s (D-Calif.) latest endorsement of a political candidate could anger billionaire Elon Musk ahead of the 2024 election.
What Happened: After Pelosi endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, she backed San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston in his re-election campaign.
Preston, a local official in Pelosi's Congressional district, is said to be ultra-progressive.
"This is a powerful endorsement from one of San Francisco's most powerful leaders, and I look forward to working with Speaker Emerita Pelosi in our united effort to defeat Donald Trump," Preston said in a statement to Politico.
Last year, Musk said Preston should be in prison for his supporting an ordinance that would make it illegal for security guards to use firearms in attempts to stop theft. Preston's stance on crime has been a hot topic for tech entrepreneurs.
Democrat Bilal Mahmood, a tech entrepreneur and former administration staffer under President Barack Obama, is running against Preston.
Musk has previously said he would spend $100,000 in an effort to defeat Preston from getting re-elected. It is not known if Musk donated to the race with Mahmood saying he hasn't received any from the billionaire.
Why It's Important: San Francisco supervisors act similarly to city council members, according to the report, with tasks like local policy and budget.
The region's retail theft, drug overdoses and homelessness issues have brought in national attention and increased attention from tech leaders who have headquarters in the area.
The local race could now see even more attention if Musk steps up to endorse and financially support Democratic and Republican challengers to Preston. Or Musk could choose to stay out as he recently announced he was moving the company headquarters of SpaceX and X from California to Texas.
Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi has invested in Tesla Inc TSLA stock over the years, but recently sold 2,500 shares in June valued at $250,000 to $500,000.
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