Connie Chan was born in Hong Kong and moved to San Francisco at the age of 13 with her mother and younger brother. After graduating from Galileo High School, Chan earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California – Davis. Chan started her career as a volunteer Chinese interpreter, working with pro bono attorneys for the SF Bar Association's Volunteer Legal Outreach, and as a community organizer for SF SAFE and the Community Youth Center.
In 2006, she was recruited by then-Supervisor Sophie Maxwell to serve as a legislative aide, where she worked to successfully shut down the Potrero Power Plant which was spewing toxic air pollutants into the Bayview neighborhood. She later served as a public safety and communications aide and liaison to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community for then-District Attorney Kamala Harris. Chan also served as a legislative aide to then-Supervisor Aaron Peskin and as a representative of then-Assemblymember Kevin Mullin. In addition to her local and state level policy work, Chan has held roles in the administration at the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, working across San Francisco to promote and protect public spaces, and at City College of San Francisco working on advancing higher education policies and public access.
Now, Chan represents District 1 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. First elected in 2020, Chan has served as the Chair of the Board of Supervisors Budget Committee since February 2023, and also serves as a member of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission, and the Free City College Oversight Committee.
The 11th Congressional District covers nearly the entirety of San Francisco. Since 1987, the City has been represented by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi who announced her retirement in 2025. Chan is running for Congress to represent San Francisco residents in California’s 11th District. If elected, Chan will be the first Asian American to represent San Francisco in the House.