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SAN FRANCISCO — <\/span>The California state lawmaker favored to succeed Nancy Pelosi<\/a> in the U.S. House has already been thrust into the national spotlight as the force behind headline-grabbing policies like a ban on masks<\/a> for federal agents and protections for transgender youth<\/a>. <\/p>\n Now Scott Wiener is expected to win the California Democratic Party’s endorsement on Sunday, giving his candidacy an extra boost in a competitive primary. Once in Washington, he could swiftly become a fresh symbol of San Francisco politics, derided by conservatives as an example of extreme liberalism while occasionally clashing with progressives.<\/p>\n Wiener has practice with that balancing act after 15 years in city and state politics. <\/p>\n \u201cSen. Wiener only does the tough bills,\u201d longtime Sacramento lobbyist Chris Micheli said. \u201cHe never shies away from a significant political battle.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiener’s challenge of navigating modern Democratic politics was on display in January, when he changed his language on the war in Gaza. Days after declining to align with his progressive opponents in describing Israel’s actions as genocide, he said he agreed with that term. The shift angered some Jewish groups and led Wiener to step down as co-chair of the state Legislative Jewish Caucus.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a period of time I chose not to use the word \u2018genocide\u2019 because it is so sensitive within the Jewish community,\u201d he said in an interview with The Associated Press. \u201cBut ultimately I decided I had been effectively saying \u2018genocide\u2019 for quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiener, known for his calm demeanor, is often at the center of California’s most divisive issues, from housing to drug use. His backers and critics alike describe him as someone who advocates relentlessly for his bills.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re willing to risk people being mad at you, you can get things done and make people\u2019s lives better,\u201d Wiener said.<\/p>\n He wrote laws requiring large companies to disclose their direct and indirect climate emissions<\/a> and ramp up apartment construction near public transit stops<\/a>. <\/p>\n But he doesn’t always win. <\/p>\n Wiener authored a first-in-the-nation law banning local and federal law enforcement agents from wearing face coverings after a wave of immigration raids<\/a> across Southern California last summer. A judge blocked it from taking effect this month \u2014 a rare loss in the state\u2019s legal battles with the Trump administration that had Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s office blaming Wiener.<\/p>\n He also failed to pass high-profile bills to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms<\/a> and hold oil and gas companies liable<\/a> for damage from climate-caused natural disasters. <\/p>\n His critics come from both parties. <\/p>\n Republicans have blasted many of his policies aimed at defending LGBTQ+ people, sometimes calling Wiener, who is gay, offensive names<\/a>.<\/p>\n Aaron Peskin, a former San Francisco supervisor and outspoken progressive, said a law Wiener wrote inadvertently stifled local housing and affordability efforts. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was screwing my government\u2019s ability to deliver goods and services to the people that we represent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Wiener said he supports Israel’s right to defend itself but grew horrified by the scale of its attacks on Gaza and blocking of humanitarian aid. More than 70,000 Palestinians<\/a> have been killed since the war began in late 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. He had harshly criticized Israel\u2019s actions but avoided using the word \u201c genocide<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n At a candidate forum in January, he refused to say \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d after the Democratic hopefuls were asked whether Israel was committing genocide, which angered pro-Palestinian advocates. His opponents, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and former tech executive Saikat Chakrabarti, said \u201cyes.\u201d <\/p>\n Days later he released a video saying Israel had committed genocide, triggering backlash from Jewish and pro-Israel groups who said his words lacked \u201cmoral clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n