Saikat Chakrabarti, once chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has announced his candidacy against Nancy Pelosi for her California House seat. Chakrabarti criticizes the Democratic Party's perceived lack of preparedness for the political landscape under figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk, and argues for new leadership.

He contends that the Democratic Party requires a fresh perspective to address the significant changes in the American landscape since Pelosi's early days in Washington. Chakrabarti points to the rising costs of healthcare, education, and housing, alongside a Republican Party he deems "overtly conspiratorial and anti-democracy."

Chakrabarti emphasizes the need for the Democratic Party to adopt a bolder vision for improving the lives of Americans. He plans to focus his campaign on addressing the challenges facing San Francisco, the nation, and the Democratic Party itself. His history includes managing Ocasio-Cortez's successful 2018 campaign, but he later resigned from his chief of staff position following public criticism of moderate Democrats and controversial comparisons to "Southern Democrats" of the past.