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Chakrabarti polls better than veteran democrat Pelosi
The March 2026 primary will test whether Pelosi’s entrenched base can withstand a well-funded progressive challenge
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 27, Sep 2025
- 16:36 EDT
- 25
Saikat Chakrabarti / Image- X (@saikatc)
Indian American political activist and progressive challenger Saikat Chakrabarti pulled 44 percent support against Nancy Pelosi in a new internal survey of California’s 11th Congressional District.
The Beacon Research survey, conducted Sept. 12–20 among registered voters, initially showed Pelosi leading with 47 percent, Chakrabarti at 34 percent, and 20 percent undecided. However, once respondents were provided with candidate biographies, their support changed, resulting in a 44–36 percent advantage for Chakrabarti over the veteran democrat.
Also Read: Saikat Chakrabarti inaugurates campaign headquarters in San Francisco
Chakrabarti, 39, is a former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and co-founder of Justice Democrats, the progressive group that recruited and backed a wave of insurgent Democrats in 2018. A Harvard graduate and former tech entrepreneur, he has pledged to reject corporate PAC donations while using his own resources to match Pelosi’s fundraising.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news—so here’s some good: I’m kinda beating Nancy Pelosi. When people hear about this campaign, we beat Pelosi by 6 points. We always knew our platform was overwhelmingly popular, but we need your help to share it with the rest of the city. Join us… pic.twitter.com/F3Xvc1HxMu
— Saikat Chakrabarti for Congress (@saikatc) September 26, 2025
He has made political reform the centerpiece of his campaign. “Politicians completely underestimate the extent to which the corrupting influence of big money in politics matters to voters. If Democrats swore off big money and ran hard on anti-corruption, they could actually start winning in deep red states.”
At his campaign launch earlier this year, Chakrabarti described his run as part of a broader push to reset Democratic politics, calling for bold climate action, structural reforms, and economic justice. “We have to present an actual vision for rebuilding society,” he told supporters.
The March 2026 primary will test whether Pelosi’s entrenched base can withstand a well-funded progressive challenge or if Chakrabarti’s early momentum can translate into a serious bid to unseat one of the party’s most enduring figures.
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