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Saikat Chakrabarti, the former chief of staff to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has announced his candidacy for Congress. He aims to unseat veteran politician, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi representing San Francisco.

A Bid Against Nancy Pelosi 

Chakrabarti, 39, launched his campaign on Wednesday, expressing surprise that Pelosi is seeking a 21st term.

"I know some of you might be surprised that Speaker Emeritus Pelosi is running again, but she is — for her 21st term!" he stated.

His candidacy comes at a turbulent time for Democrats as they navigate the challenges of a second Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress and Senate. Trump's victory in 2024 saw him winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote.

A Call for New Leadership

In his campaign announcement, Chakrabarti criticized the Democratic Party's response to Trump’s return to power and the rise of influential figures such as Elon Musk.

"Watching Trump and Elon freely unleash chaos in their illegal seizure of government, it’s become clear to me that the Democratic Party needs new leadership," he wrote.

"I don’t understand how DC’s Democratic leaders are so paralyzed and unprepared for this moment after living through President Trump’s first term — and after Trump and Elon warned us exactly what they planned to do."

Chakrabarti’s campaign taps into growing concerns among Americans who believe older members of Congress should step aside for younger leadership.

A Proven Progressive Strategist

Chakrabarti is no stranger to challenging political powerhouses. As the campaign manager for Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, he helped her defeat ten-term Congressman Joe Crowley in one of the biggest upsets in recent Democratic primary history.

 He later served as AOC’s first chief of staff, championing progressive policies and pushing for systemic change within the party.

Before working with AOC, Chakrabarti had a background in tech and was instrumental in Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. He is also a co-founder of Justice Democrats, an organization dedicated to electing progressive candidates.

For five years, he has worked in San Francisco with New Consensus, a think tank focused on economic and social policy.

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Criticism of Pelosi’s Leadership

While Chakrabarti acknowledged Pelosi’s accomplishments, he argued that the country has changed dramatically since she first entered politics in 1987.