Ian Krager, Nancy Pelosi’s communications director, will serve as the new communications director for SF Supervisor Connie Chan’s congressional campaign beginning August 1, until the election in November.

Supervisor Connie Chan's congressional campaign has hired one of House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's top aides, with communications director Ian Krager, 26, set to take a leave of absence beginning August 1 to serve as the campaign's spokesperson through the November election, as the Chronicle reports. The move comes as Pelosi continues to play a visible role in Chan's bid to succeed her in Congress, following her endorsement in May and a series of fundraising events and campaign appearances on Chan's behalf.

Krager has reportedly spent the last four and a half years working for Pelosi, including the past two as her communications director. He’s expected to relocate to San Francisco for Chan’s campaign then return to Pelosi's office in November before Pelosi heads to UC Berkeley in the new year.

"Connie Chan, her campaign and all San Franciscans will benefit enormously from Ian's skills, experience and leadership in his exciting new role,” said Pelosi, per the Chronicle.

According to Mission Local, Krager’s hiring follows Chan's recent two-day swing through Washington, where she met privately with Pelosi and attended an evening reception co-hosted by Pelosi and Senator Adam Schiff. The trip also reportedly included roughly 10 meetings, events, and media appearances intended to broaden Chan's support among national Democrats around issues including labor, abortion rights, gun safety, education, and climate. She also taped an appearance for The Dean Obeidallah Show.

Chan's campaign reportedly said she was “honored” to have Pelosi's endorsement and praised Krager's experience and strategic judgment. Krager, meanwhile, said on social media it had been “the honor of a lifetime” to serve as Pelosi’s communications director and that he was “thrilled to join Connie Chan's campaign at this pivotal moment.”

The Chronicle suggests that Pelosi's endorsement helped propel Chan into second place in the crowded race to replace the longtime congressmember, ahead of Saikat Chakrabarti but behind state Senator Scott Wiener. Since then, Pelosi has campaigned alongside Chan in San Francisco and participated in fundraising events in both Washington and San Francisco, including one that the campaign said brought in more than $100,000.

As SFist reported earlier this month, longtime SF labor leader and Pelosi ally Rudy Gonzalez took a leave of absence from his role as director of the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council to work as Chan’s campaign manager.

Related: Connie Chan Hires SF Labor Leader and Pelosi Ally to Head Campaign For Congress

Image: Ian Krager/X