This ex-Silicon Valley engineer served as AOC's chief-of-staff. Now, he's challenging Nancy Pelosi
Left: Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief-of-staff for New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez / Right: California Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - Saikat Chakrabarti is trying to accomplish something no one’s been able to do for nearly four decades.
"The biggest challenge in this campaign for me, is trying to get out that I’m running first of all, and that I’m running on a real message," said Chakrabarti. "I’m not just running to try and be the next person in there for another 40 years."
Frustration with Democrats
The backstory:
Chakrabarti isn’t just running to represent San Francisco in the House, he’s running against one of the biggest names in American political history: Nancy Pelosi. He said he’s been driven by his disappointment with how the Democratic Party handled its loss to President Trump in November.
"She gave an interview, where he asked her point-blank, ‘what did Democrats do wrong,’ and her answer was basically nothing, Democrats don’t need to change," said Chakrabarti. "I really disagree with that."
Before turning to politics, Chakrabarti found success as a Silicon Valley engineer. He launched his campaign in February, 21 months before the 2026 midterms, understanding the tall task ahead of him. Pelosi was the first female Speaker of the House, a position she held twice, as part of her ongoing trailblazing career.
"There’s no comparison to the power that Nancy Pelosi has, and what she brings," said David McCuan, political science professor at Sonoma State University.
Future of the party
What's next:
Pelosi, who will be 86 when her current term ends, has not said whether she’ll seek another term or retire. She has filed a statement of candidacy, which allows her to raise money.
Her campaign spokesperson declined to comment for this story. Her supporters will tell you she’s been on the front lines of challenging President Trump, but Chakrabarti disagrees.
"I think people want to see leadership that’s fighting the current administration," said Chakrabarti. "This is the reason there are tens of thousands of people coming to these rallies that Bernie and AOC are doing all over the country."
Chakrabarti is well-acquainted with the progressive power players. He worked on Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign and helped recruit and guide Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to victory in 2018.
He went on to serve as her chief-of-staff. He talks about issues like universal healthcare, universal childcare and ending corruption in politics.
But, he says the top priority for Democrats should be a focus on a rapid change of the economy.
"The Democrats actually need to have a transformative economic agenda that shows people a route to improving their lives," said Chakrabarti.
Chakrabarti is working on getting that message out to as many voters as he can, because he knows, like many others do, this is a tall mountain to climb.
"She will outraise him," said McCuan. "She will out-endorse him, she’ll probably even outwork him in some ways, because that’s Nancy Pelosi."