Saikat Chakrabarti Announces Challenge to Nancy Pelosi for San Francisco Congressional Seat

Former AOC Chief of Staff and Green New Deal architect calls for new Democratic leadership to confront Trump and address San Francisco's affordability crisis.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, Saikat Chakrabarti, former Chief of Staff to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and co-architect of the Green New Deal, announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in California's 12th Congressional District, challenging incumbent Nancy Pelosi who is seeking her 21st term in 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 stated 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."

A Call for Generational Change

Chakrabarti acknowledged Pelosi's accomplishments but argued that the current moment demands fresh perspectives. "I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago," he said.

When Pelosi was first elected to Congress, Chakrabarti noted, "you could buy a home on a single income. A summer job could pay for college. Republicans believed in climate change and respected election results." Today, he emphasized, "the things that defined the American Dream — being able to afford health care, education, a home, and raise a family — are impossible for most people."

Democratic Party Needs Bold Vision

Chakrabarti criticized Pelosi's post-election assessment that Democrats don't need to change, pointing to her recent intervention to block Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from chairing the powerful Oversight Committee to hold Trump and his cronies accountable.

"The Democratic Party needs to stop acting like it's competing against a normal political party that plays by the rules," Chakrabarti argued. "It needs a bold vision for how to raise living standards, quality of life and security for all Americans. America is stuck, and Americans want real solutions that are as big as the problems we face."

From Tech to Progressive Politics

After a successful career in San Francisco's tech industry as one of the founding engineers at Stripe, Chakrabarti shifted to politics, joining Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. He went on to co-found Justice Democrats, the organization that recruited Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive leaders to Congress.

As AOC's campaign manager and first Chief of Staff, Chakrabarti was instrumental in crafting and launching the Green New Deal, which transformed the national conversation on climate policy and led to historic climate investments under the Biden administration.

For the past five years, Chakrabarti has led New Consensus, a policy think tank he founded that develops comprehensive solutions to America's challenges. The organization's flagship initiative, the Mission for America, provides a detailed roadmap for building a clean economy while creating millions of high-paying jobs and dramatically improving living standards.

A Different Kind of Campaign

Chakrabarti pledged to run an unconventional campaign focused on direct voter engagement rather than traditional fundraising. "Instead of spending hours each day doing 'call time' with big money donors — I'm going to spend every day talking with voters," he explained. "I know! What a radical idea!"

The campaign will feature:

• Regular Zoom calls with voters to discuss local and national issues
• House meetings throughout San Francisco
• Weekly open forums on issues of importance to San Franciscans and the future of the Democratic Party
• A commitment to never share voter data or spam supporters with fundraising appeals

"Winning this campaign will require months of organizing — online and on the street — to connect with every single voter in San Francisco," Chakrabarti noted, acknowledging the challenge of defeating an incumbent but emphasizing that "both Congress and the Democratic Party stand at record-low approval ratings."

Platform Focus

Chakrabarti's campaign will address both San Francisco's local challenges and national issues:

For San Francisco:

• Making housing affordable through a national housing plan and public investment
• Saving Muni and BART from budget crises
• Protecting residents from Trump's authoritarian policies
• Building the best constituent services office in the country

For America:

• Implementing the Mission for America to build a clean economy and create prosperity
• Establishing universal healthcare through Medicare for All
• Making public college tuition-free
• Ending congressional stock trading
• Creating publicly financed elections

About New Consensus and Mission for America

New Consensus, the think tank Chakrabarti founded and leads, has developed the Mission for America — a comprehensive plan to rapidly slash emissions and create prosperity for all by building the clean economy. The plan includes detailed strategies for upgrading every sector of the economy, from energy and transportation to housing and manufacturing, positioning America as the global leader in clean technology while creating millions of high-paying jobs.

Interested San Francisco residents can learn more and sign up for campaign updates at saikat.us.

For media inquiries, please contact:
press@saikat.us