Former speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has a fight on hands is she wants to keep her seat in Congress.
That’s because Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), threw his had in the ring for the seat, Politico reported.
Chakrabarti said “America is stuck” and needs to move past the days when Pelosi was in charge.
“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,” the 39-year-old Chakrabarti said in a post on X.
“America is stuck, and Americans want real solutions that are as big as the problems we face.”
Pelosi, 84, spent close to 20 years as speaker, leaving the post in 2022.
Pelosi is apparently seeking reelection in 2026 as she has filed the necessary paperwork. However, she has not said so publicly.
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-11th District) has shown interest in running for the seat should Pelosi step down.
Some also think Peloso’s daughter, Christine, may run for the seat should her mother retire.
The primary will likely be where the actual competition is as the district is a Democratic stronghold.
There has been some animosity between Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez, 35, since the former speaker opposed Ocasio-Cortez’s bid to lead the Oversight Committee.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), 74, won the race for the position.
Chakrabarti spoke out against Pelosi’s support of Connolly.
“Watching Trump and Elon freely unleash chaos in their illegal seizure of government, it’s become clear to me that the Democratic Party needs new leadership,” he said.
