WIENER
Scott

• 1. Early life and career

Scott Wiener is an American politician and a member of the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 11th Senate District, encompassing San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County.

Prior to his election to the State Senate in 2016, Wiener served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 8. He also served as Chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, represented San Francisco as a commissioner on the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and represented San Francisco as a director on the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District Board.

During his political career, Wiener has been known as a prominent advocate for various measures to facilitate more housing construction in California to alleviate the California housing shortage.

Early life and career

Wiener was born to a Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in southern New Jersey, the son of small business owners. He graduated from Washington Township High School, received his bachelor's degree from Duke University, studied in Santiago, Chile on a Fulbright Scholarship, and received his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. He clerked for Justice Alan B. Handler on the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

In 1997, Wiener moved to San Francisco to work as a litigation attorney at Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe. In 2002, he went to work as a deputy city attorney, under San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera.

Before running for Board of Supervisors, Wiener served as chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.

In 2016, Wiener ran for the 11th Senate District, to succeed termed out Senator Mark Leno. As it is required to include a Chinese name on the ballot (17% of the San Francisco population speak Chinese), Wiener, who is very tall, chose the name Wei Shangao, meaning "bold, majestic, charitable, and tall".

Wiener received several endorsements, including one by Senator Leno. He ultimately defeated fellow Supervisor Jane Kim in the November general election, to win election to the State Senate.

Wiener won re-election to his state senate seat in 2020.