California Senate Candidate Wiener Pulls AI Chatbot Targeting Congressional Rival Chan

The withdrawal of ConnieChan.ai and associated billboard ads raises questions about the boundaries of AI-generated political content in a competitive San Francisco congressional primary.

California state Sen. Scott Wiener announced Friday that his campaign would remove an AI chatbot — ConnieChan.ai — and associated billboard advertisements targeting his congressional primary opponent, Connie Chan, according to reporting by the New York Post published August 8, 2026. Wiener and Chan are among the candidates competing to represent California's 11th Congressional District, the seat previously held by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The chatbot was developed by the Wiener campaign as a political attack tool portraying Chan in a manner that drew criticism, according to the New York Post report. The reversal followed what the Post described as a negative reaction that included objections from Pelosi herself, though the precise content of any communications between Pelosi and the Wiener campaign has not been confirmed in a publicly available record. The Congressional Times has not independently verified the nature or scope of Pelosi's reported objection.

Wiener represents the 11th State Senate District of California. His campaign's use of an AI-generated chatbot as an electoral attack instrument is consistent with an emerging category of digital campaign expenditure. Federal Election Commission disclosure rules require campaigns to report operating expenditures, including digital and technology costs, in itemized form when payments to a single vendor exceed $200 in a reporting period (52 U.S.C. § 30104). Whether the cost of developing or hosting ConnieChan.ai appears in Wiener's FEC filings — or, if the race remains in its state-level filing period, in California Fair Political Practices Commission disclosures — is not confirmed in available public records as of publication.

The 11th Congressional District seat became open following Pelosi's announcement that she would not seek re-election. California uses a top-two primary system, meaning the two candidates with the most votes in the primary advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Both Wiener and Chan are Democrats. No general election results are available as the race has not yet concluded.

What remains unknown: the full text or functionality of the ConnieChan.ai chatbot, the total cost of its development and the associated billboard campaign, and the precise basis for any objection conveyed by Pelosi or her representatives. Wiener's FEC filings and FPPC disclosure reports, both publicly searchable, would identify vendors and expenditure amounts associated with the digital campaign. The Congressional Times will update this report as those records become available.