Saikat Chakrabarti, the former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is mounting a campaign to fill Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco congressional seat. But while Chakrabarti has invoked his onetime boss in his pitch to voters, Ocasio-Cortez has offered no public endorsement or commentary on his candidacy.
The dynamic underscores an awkward distance between the two figures despite their closely intertwined political history. Chakrabarti served as the architect of AOC's stunning 2018 upset victory over long-serving Rep. Joe Crowley in New York, a win that launched her career and reshaped progressive politics. Their professional partnership became emblematic of a new wave of grassroots Democratic organizing.
Yet Chakrabarti's record includes moments that tested relationships with party leadership. Most notably, a 2017 tweet from Chakrabarti rankled Pelosi, the longtime House speaker. The inflammatory post created tension at a time when Democrats were navigating internal divisions and setting strategic direction.
Now running for office in his own right, Chakrabarti appears to be drawing on his association with Ocasio-Cortez's brand as he introduces himself to San Francisco voters. The congressman's seat represents one of the most competitive and closely watched races in the nation, with Pelosi's decision not to seek reelection opening the field to multiple candidates.
Ocasio-Cortez's silence on Chakrabarti's campaign raises questions about the depth of their current political alignment, even as other progressive figures weigh in on the race. The contrast between his name-dropping strategy and her lack of public engagement suggests their paths have diverged since their early collaboration.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Chakrabarti's play to leverage his AOC connection while she keeps her distance tells you everything about how quickly Capitol Hill relationships cool."
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