SING TAO: Xu Xiaohui (Marie Hurabiell) Runs for San Francisco Federal Congressional Representative, Emphasizes Public Safety, Education, and Values Chinese Voter Support
Marie Hurabiell, long active in local public affairs, has announced she is entering the race for San Francisco's 11th Congressional District, adding a new variable to the primary landscape.
Hurabiell is an eighth-generation San Franciscan and attorney who describes herself as a "common-sense Democrat." She earned her bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She previously served as a federal judicial clerk and worked at the prominent law firm Skadden. In 2020 she founded ConnectedSF, focused on accountability, pragmatism, and policy execution.
Hurabiell emphasizes that her values align closely with Chinese American voters on the three core priorities of "public safety, education, and prosperity," and specifically highlights the key role Chinese American voters played in recent mayoral elections. "I believe Chinese American votes are critical to my ultimate victory."
The three major candidates already declared include SF Assemblymember Connie Chan, State Senator Scott Wiener, and former congressional staffer and tech figure Saikat Chakrabarti.
In an exclusive interview, Hurabiell noted that all three current major candidates are progressives, "lacking a voice representing moderate and pragmatic voters." She emphasizes she is the candidate in the race who clearly supports public safety, having long attended Police Commission and Board of Supervisors meetings to advocate for the police budget, and describes herself as having participated in the effort to recall then-DA Chesa Boudin from its early stages.
On education, she previously supported recalling school board members and during the pandemic called for schools to reopen, arguing that prolonged school closures "caused serious harm to children and the pursuit of educational equity." Regarding outside questions about her past Republican background, Hurabiell responded that she switched to the Democratic Party four years ago, and emphasized that her federal work experience will help her secure resources for San Francisco in Washington.
San Francisco's congressional race uses a "top-two" primary system — the top two vote-getters in the June primary advance to the November general election. How Hurabiell's entry affects the other candidates is a matter of debate. Political analyst David Ho believes her entry is more advantageous for Connie Chan.
Otto Pippenger, deputy campaign manager for the campaign that participated in recalling Joel Engardio, holds the opposite view, believing Hurabiell's entry actually poses more threat to Wiener.
Chinese community leader Dennis Wu has taken a clear stance, directly calling on the community to launch a "anyone but Wiener" mobilization. He criticized Wiener for not caring about the lives of Chinese families and the west side community, with his high-density housing policies threatening the homes and neighborhood character that generations of Chinese immigrants worked hard to build. In response, Wiener's office noted that he has long supported public safety, school education, healthcare and cultural resources for the Chinese community, promoted Lunar New Year legislation, restored acupuncture funding, supported the Chinese Cultural Center and multiple community organizations — "these commitments were practiced before I ran for Congress and will continue."
Wu said he currently supports Connie Chan, but also welcomes Hurabiell's entry and supports her candidacy as well, believing both candidates represent the public safety and family values that Chinese Americans care about.
Reactions to Hurabiell's entry varied across camps. Wiener's office criticized her past Republican membership and politically MAGA-leaning positions, and her public support for right-wing candidates. Chakrabarti's campaign welcomed everyone entering the race, with both sides agreeing the city and country need change. The Chan campaign's response was the most brief — simply "the more the merrier."
Reported by this newspaper's reporter Chen Chengwei from San Francisco
