Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff plans to mount a primary campaign against one of his former boss’ main antagonists in Congress: Nancy Pelosi. Saikat Chakrabarti wants to unseat the 84-year-old, who is running for her 21st term. Though it is his first run for public office, Chakrabarti is no stranger to politics. After a career in tech, Chakrabarti worked for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. He then helped launch the career of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as part of his organization, Brand New Congress, which aimed to promote progressive candidates in congressional races. From there, he served as Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign manager and first chief of staff before returning to San Francisco. Now, Chakrabarti has his sights set on Congress.
A former aide to Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez on Wednesday announced that he is challenging former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her deep blue seat in San Francisco in 2026. Pelosi has consistently represented her district in the House since 1987, and served as House speaker for nearly 20 years. The 84-year-old has filed paperwork to run for reelection in 2026, but has not publicly commented on the race so far. She easily won reelection in November. Ocasio-Cortez's former chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, who is 39, praised Pelosi's storied career in his announcement, but said it was time for a new generation of lawmakers. He also cited Pelosi's efforts to keep the New Yorker from serving as the top Democrat on the House Oversight panel.
The former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., announced Wednesday his intention to run against Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., calling the Democratic Party "paralyzed and unprepared" for President Donald Trump's second term in office. Chakrabarti, who helped manage Ocasio-Cortez’s upstart 2018 campaign, left his chief of staff position in 2019 after drawing the ire of Democrats when he publicly criticized party moderates during policy spats between progressive members and party leadership. "It’s become clear to me that the Democratic Party needs new leadership," he wrote.
