A new battle within the Democratic Party and unfolding in San Francisco, where former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces a primary challenge from Saikat Chakrabarti, a progressive activist and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
In a social media post, Chakrabarti, 39, acknowledged Pelosi’s historic career but argued that her time in politics no longer aligns with the challenges facing modern America.
“I’ve decided to run against Nancy Pelosi to represent San Francisco in Congress,” Chakrabarti wrote on X. Chakrabarti, who has clashed with Pelosi in the past, noted, “I know some of you might be surprised that Speaker Emeritus Pelosi is running again, but she is — for her 21st term!”
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“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,” Chakrabarti said. “America is stuck, and Americans want real solutions that are as big as the problems we face.”
Chakrabarti, a former tech worker and key architect of Ocasio-Cortez’s (AOC) 2018 insurgent campaign, criticized Pelosi for her role in blocking Ocasio-Cortez from becoming the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
In December, Pelosi backed 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia over Ocasio-Cortez, 35, in the race for the committee’s leadership position. Chakrabarti framed Pelosi’s decision as emblematic of the party’s resistance to change.
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Pelosi, who stepped down as House Speaker in 2022 after nearly two decades in the role, has not yet announced whether she will seek reelection in 2026.
However, she has filed the necessary paperwork to run again, signaling that she may not be ready to retire from Congress.
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