Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff is running for office in a bid to oust former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Saikat Chakrabarti announced on Wednesday he is running to represent San Francisco in Congress.
‘I know some of you might be surprised that Speaker Emeritus Pelosi is running again, but she is — for her 21st term!’ Chakrabarti said as he launched his campaign against the 84-year-old longtime Democratic leader.
His run comes as Democrats have been grappling with how best to take on President Donald Trump and Republicans who now have a GOP trifecta in Washington, controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress.
‘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,’ Chakrabarti wrote in his announcement.
‘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,’ he continued.
At the same time, some Americans have been making ongoing calls for older members of Congress to step aside for the next generation as many members are trying to hold congressional seats well past the average age for retirement.
Saikat Chakrabarti with then Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio Cortez back in November 2018 after she she pulled off a successful bid to oust a longtime Democratic member of Congress. Chakrabarti served as her campaign manager and first chief of staff. Now, he is launching his own congressional bid against former Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Chakrabarti, 39, served as Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff when she first became a member of Congress in 2019.
But he also knows a little something about ousting longtime incumbent Democrats.
Before serving in Ocasio-Cortez’s office, he worked as campaign manager for the progressive New York Democrat during her first bid to represent her Bronx and Queens.
During that campaign, the Squad member pulled off a gigantic upset in the Democratic primary, taking out a ten-term congressman and Democratic caucus chair Joe Crowley.
Chakrabarti said he respects Pelosi’s accomplishments but argued Americans are living in a ‘totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago.’
He also slammed Pelosi for helping block his former boss from getting a leadership position in the new Congress.
Last year, the former Speaker personally intervened to help keep the 35-year-old congresswoman from becoming the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee.
In the end, House Democrats elected Congressman Jerry Connolly who Pelosi was backing to the position.
Chakrabarti is running against former Speaker Nancy Pelosi pictured here on January 3 at the start of the new Congress. He argued the U.S. is not the same place it was when Pelosi entered Congress in the 1980s and has called for new leadership in the Democratic party
In his announcement, Chakrabarti warned that the Republican Party is ‘overtly conspiratorial and anti-democracy.’
‘The Democratic Party needs to stop acting like it’s competing against a normal political party that plays by the rules, and it needs a bold vision for how to raise living standards, quality of life and security for all Americans,’ he wrote.
Before working for Ocasio-Cortez, Chakrabarti got his start in tech before working for Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.
He was also the co-founder of the group Justice Democrats which has worked to get progressives elected including multiple members of ‘The Squad.’
For the last five years he has been working in San Francisco for New Consensus, an economic and social policy think tank.
Chakrabarti could face significant challenges going up against one of the most formidable fundraisers Democrats have ever had in Pelosi.
But he said he wants to run a ‘very different kind of campaign than most.’
‘Instead of spending hours each day doing “call time” with big money donors — I’m going to spend every day talking with voters. I know! What a radical idea!’ he wrote.
Chakrabarti was the founder of Justice Democrats and worked on Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. For the last five years, he has been working in for a think tank in San Francisco
Pelosi first entered Congress in 1987 where she worked her way up to become one of the most powerful people in the world as the first woman to serve as House speaker in 2007.
When Republicans retook the majority in 2023, Pelosi made good on her promise not to seek a Democratic leadership position in the new Congress, paving the way for the next generation in leadership positions, but she remains one of the most powerful Democrats in the House.
However, the longtime congresswoman and some other lawmakers in Washington have faced criticism that members of Congress are remaining in office too long.
Pelosi’s age was also put in the spotlight again at the end of last year when the veteran lawmaker fell during a trip to Europe while traveling with other members of Congress.
The 84-year-old underwent successful hip replacement surgery before returning to the U.S. to recover over the holidays at home in California.
But last month, her recovery was still on full display as the lawmaker had the support of aides and a walker to help her at the start of the new Congress.
