Pelosi challenger Saikat Chakrabarti launches upset bid at packed Mission event

"Saikat Chakrabarti, who aims to unseat 20-term incumbent Rep. Nancy Pelosi in 2026, kicked off his campaign Wednesday night in San Francisco's Mission District before a hundreds-strong crowd. The theme for the night? The Democratic Party has failed to confront Trump, and "transformational change" is needed to right fundamental wrongs in the U.S. economy. "It is clear as daylight: We are living in the middle of a fascist coup," Chakrabarti told a crowd of many hundreds packed into the Chapel at 777 Valencia St."

"But, he said, it would not be enough to "return to a pre-Trump status quo." Democrats, Chakrabarti said, should reshape the economy that "made Donald Trump possible" in a radical way. Chakrabarti, a 39-year-old former tech executive, is best known as the former chief of staff to New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who drew national attention after defeating 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in 2018."

"Chakrabarti aspires to chart a similar path. He's back in the city where he spent most of his adult life, hoping that the frustration built up since last year's presidential election can help him defeat Speaker Emeritus Pelosi, 85, who would be running for her 21st term in California's 11th Congressional District. She's proven a tough challenge. In November 2024, Pelosi won reelection with 81 percent of the vote. Though Chakrabarti's campaign is widely viewed as a long shot, a recent internal poll released by the campaign suggests it may not be futile. Among the 600 voters polled, 51 percent said they once supported Pelosi but now think it's time for a change."

Saikat Chakrabarti launched a 2026 campaign in San Francisco to challenge 20-term Rep. Nancy Pelosi, drawing several hundred attendees. Chakrabarti framed the moment as a failure by Democrats to confront Trump and called for "transformational change" to address systemic economic problems, characterizing the current moment as a "fascist coup." He argued that merely returning to a pre-Trump status quo is insufficient and urged reshaping the economy that "made Donald Trump possible." Chakrabarti, a 39-year-old former tech executive and former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, faces an uphill race against Pelosi, who won 81 percent in 2024; an internal poll showed 51 percent of 600 respondents once supported Pelosi but now favor change.

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