Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Saikat Chakrabarti Mounts Insurgent Bid for Pelosi’s Former San Francisco Seat

The fortune-backed run tests whether a youth-driven online left can break through San Francisco’s recent tilt toward moderation.

Overview

  • The tech millionaire and Justice Democrats co-founder is running for Nancy Pelosi’s former seat with a vow to upend party leadership and with no endorsements from current state or federal lawmakers.
  • He backs an immediate halt to U.S. military aid to Israel, a wealth tax on high earners, and taxpayer-funded universal healthcare, and he has called House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries a bad leader.
  • Official filings list at least $167 million in assets, and he has put about $5 million of his own money into the campaign, drawing attacks that he is trying to buy influence.
  • A recent “Change the Party” rally in San Francisco’s SoMa drew thousands and featured former congressman Jamaal Bowman and streamer Hasan Piker, signaling a push to mobilize younger voters.
  • He faces front-runner State Sen. Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan in June’s top-two primary, which advances the two highest vote-getters regardless of party, and analysts warn the city’s shift toward the center could hamper an insurgent bid.