Wiener's candidacy has been years in the making. He filed paperwork for a congressional committee in 2023 and has raised more than $1 million. The Standard reports that Wiener's advisers have begun mapping out an aggressive campaign emphasizing his legislative record on housing, public transit, and LGBTQ+ rights. As a state senator, he authored the law making California a "refuge state" for transgender people seeking gender-affirming care banned in other states, a policy that made him a national target of far-right attacks.
"I'm watching things that I've built my career on, my life on, be crushed by President Trump," von Wilpert told The Advocate in a recent interview. "As a young woman in this fight, I've lost my rights under Roe v. Wade after Trump was elected the first time, and as an LGBTQ woman, I'm worried about losing my rights to equality under the law. That's why I decided to jump in and fight."