Saikat Chakrabarti
Saikat Chakrabarti (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 11th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the primary on June 2, 2026.[source]
Chakrabarti completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Saikat Chakrabarti was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 2007. His career experience includes being a co-founder of New Consensus and Justice Democrats, chief of staff for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, organizing technology for Bernie Sanders’ campaign, and second engineer at Stripe.[1]
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the June 2 top-two primary for California's 11th Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Eight Democrats, two Republicans, and one independent are running in the top-two primary for California's 11th Congressional District on June 2, 2026. As of March 2026, Saikat Chakrabarti (D), Connie Chan (D), and Scott Wiener (D) led in fundraising, endorsements, and local media attention.[2][3]
Incumbent Nancy Pelosi (D) is not running for re-election. Mission Local's Joe Eskenazi said: "Nobody still in the business has run a real San Francisco congressional race. Pelosi has held this seat since 1987. There hasn’t been a serious and competitive race for two generations."[4] As of March 2026, Pelosi had not endorsed any of the candidates.
Chakrabarti is a former software engineer and staff member for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D). Chakrabarti co-founded Justice Democrats after the 2016 presidential election.[5] In his Candidate Connection survey, Chakrabarti said he was running because "San Franciscans are being crushed by the cost of living and betrayed by leaders who are too comfortable in power to fight for us."[6] Eskenazi said, "Chakrabarti’s lane is narrow...[he is] in the unusual position of appealing to San Francisco voters who gravitate to national left-wing politics without yet having the backing of San Francisco voters who gravitate to San Francisco left-wing politics."[4] Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D) endorsed Chakrabarti.[7]
Chan is a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Before her election in 2020, Chan worked in the city government, including as a staffer for then-District Attorney Kamala Harris.[8] Chan says she is running "for all the people who feel like they’re getting priced out of their own city. I’m running for those who are under attack by the Trump Administration."[9] Eskenazi said Chan's potential base of support includes "Asian/Chinese voters, the Westside and then an assortment of Great Highway refuseniks, disgruntled neighborhood dwellers and others who are chafing against what used to be referred to as 'Downtown.'"[4] Sen. Adam Schiff (D) endorsed Chan.[10]
Wiener is a member of the California Senate. Before his election to the Senate in 2016, Wiener served for five years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.[11] Wiener says he is running "to defend San Francisco, our values, our people, and the Constitution of the United States with everything I have."[12] Eskenazi said Wiener "has a stronghold in District 8, the neighborhood that consistently has the highest voter turnout, and is also the only significant moderate or LGBTQ candidate in the race."[4] California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) endorsed Wiener.[13]
Also running in the primary are John Buffler (D), Keith Freedman (D), Omed Hamid (D), Gregory Haynes (D), Marie Hurabiell (D), David Ganezer (R), Jingchao Xiong (R), and Nathan Deer (I).
In a top-two primary, all candidates running for a given office appear on the same primary ballot. The top two finishers—regardless of party affiliation—advance to the general election. The Democratic Party of California endorsed Wiener.[14] As of March 2026, the Republican Party of California had not endorsed any candidate.[15]
As of March 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Safe/Solid Democratic. In 2024, Pelosi defeated Bruce Lou (R) 81%–19%.
Elections
2026
See also: California's 11th Congressional District election, 2026
California's 11th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary)
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 11
The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 11 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| John Buffler (D) | ||
 | Saikat Chakrabarti (D)  | |
 | Connie Chan (D) | |
 | Nathan Deer (No party preference) | |
 | Keith Freedman (D) | |
| David Ganezer (R) | ||
 | Omed Hamid (D) | |
| Gregory Haynes (D) | ||
 | Marie Hurabiell (D) | |
 | Scott Wiener (D) | |
 | Jingchao Xiong (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Darren Helton (D)
- Nancy Pelosi (D)
- Cole Bettles (D)
- Daniel Wheeler (D)
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[16] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[17] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.
Below we provide results for polls from a wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval. Know of something we're missing? Click here to let us know.
| Poll | Dates | Chakrabarti (D) | Chan (D) | Wiener (D) | Other | Undecided | Sample size | Margin of error | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | 20 | 17 | 32 | 13 | 18 | 797 LV | ± 3.0% | Saikat Chakrabarti (D) | |
– | 16 | 17 | 37 | 14 | 17 | 806 LV | ± 3.0% | Saikat Chakrabarti (D) | |
| Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters. | |||||||||
Candidate spending
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Buffler | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Saikat Chakrabarti | Democratic Party | $1,769,248 | $1,656,981 | $112,266 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Connie Chan | Democratic Party | $174,385 | $54,854 | $119,531 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Keith Freedman | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Omed Hamid | Democratic Party | $44,997 | $34,968 | $10,029 | As of March 31, 2026 |
| Gregory Haynes | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Marie Hurabiell | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Scott Wiener | Democratic Party | $2,785,989 | $511,624 | $2,274,365 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| David Ganezer | Republican Party | $59 | $37 | $22 | As of March 31, 2026 |
| Jingchao Xiong | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Nathan Deer | No party preference | $3,462 | $2,071 | $1,392 | As of March 31, 2026 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[18][19][20]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
Chakrabarti received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- Abolish ICE: join the pledge! (Sway viewpoint group by Conscious Lee)
- Abolish ICE: join the pledge! (Sway viewpoint group by Monte Mader)
- Abolish ICE: join the pledge! (Sway viewpoint group by Qasim Rashid)
- Abolish ICE: join the pledge! (Sway viewpoint group by Rachel Cohen)
- CA Votes Progressive (Sway viewpoint group by June Paniouchkine)
- No Dem Left Behind
- Progressive Victory
- Track AIPAC
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Saikat Chakrabarti completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Chakrabarti's responses.
| Collapse all
I left tech because I couldn’t ignore the deeper crisis. I wanted to use my skills to fight for an economy and a democracy that actually work for ordinary people. Over the past decade I’ve helped launch some of the biggest progressive campaigns in America: I built organizing tools for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, co-founded Justice Democrats, recruited and ran campaigns for candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and served as her first Chief of Staff where I helped launch the Green New Deal. After leaving Washington, I started the think tank New Consensus to develop detailed plans for how we can rebuild American industry, create millions of high-wage jobs, and tackle the climate crisis.
Now I’m running for Congress because San Franciscans are being crushed by the cost of living and betrayed by leaders who are too comfortable in power to fight for us. We need bold action, and I know how to make it happen.- San Franciscans, and Americans everywhere, are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Working families, young people, and seniors alike are being priced out of the basics: healthcare, housing, education, and childcare. This didn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of decades of policy that put corporate profits ahead of people. In Congress, I’ll fight for Medicare for All, a national housing plan that builds millions of affordable homes, tuition-free public college, and universal childcare so working families can finally breathe again.
- Donald Trump is leading an authoritarian coup, and too many Democrats in Washington are either passive or paralyzed in the face of it. My first priority will be protecting San Franciscans from Trump’s attacks and helping lead a collective resistance. That means building the strongest constituent services program in the country, defending the integrity of our elections, and using my position to pull together institutions like law firms, universities, and communities to fight back against Trump’s assault on democracy.
- We need a modern-day New Deal to rebuild the middle class and stop the march of authoritarianism. Over the past 50 years, millions of good jobs have been shipped overseas and wages for the bottom 50% of American workers have stagnated while costs keep rising. This was not an accident. It was the direct result of decades of economic policy that prioritized short-term corporate earnings and sold out the middle class. I’ll fight for a national mobilization like we had during WWII to build clean industries, create millions of high-paying jobs, and prove that democracy can deliver prosperity for everyone.
But fixing politics takes more than good intentions. It takes systemic reform. That’s why I’ll fight to ban congressional stock trading, overturn Citizens United, end the revolving door with lobbying, and pass publicly financed elections. We have to make sure our democracy serves the people, not the billionaires and corporate lobbyists.
I bring the best of both worlds: I know how the system works, I’ve proven I can deliver big ideas like the Green New Deal, and I’ll never cave to the establishment. My commitment is to the people of San Francisco always.
To save democracy, we have to prove it can deliver prosperity for everyone. That means Medicare for All, building millions of affordable homes, and a national mission to create millions of high-wage clean jobs. If we do that, we can defeat authoritarianism for good. If we don’t, Trump and the oligarchs will keep winning.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Chakrabarti's campaign website stated the following:
Make Life Affordable
Build Millions of Homes
We are in the middle of a national housing crisis, and we are facing it hardest in San Francisco. The median home in our city now costs $1.4 million and rents are 70% higher than the national average. San Francisco should be a city where everyone who works here can afford to live here.
In Congress, I will propose legislation for a national housing plan to build millions of new homes across the country, including tens of thousands in San Francisco. This legislation will provide federal funding and technical assistance to cities that quickly approve new housing projects. Cities that have pursued similar plans, such as Austin and Minneapolis, have shown that these reforms result in lower rents and housing prices.
But I know that cutting red tape isn't enough. That's why I have a plan for a public financing entity that will directly finance affordable housing that the private market won't build on its own — including starter homes and low-income housing.
I will also fight for massive federal investments in public housing. I will vote to repeal the Faircloth Amendment, which blocks the government from building new public housing, and advocate for funding to double the number of public housing units across the country. Many countries around the world, including Austria, Singapore, and Finland, build incredibly high quality social housing. We can do that in San Francisco too.
Save Muni and BART
One of the things I love about living in San Francisco is the public transportation. Muni and BART have been essential part of the city for decades and are key ingredients to building a thriving city for the next century. However, they both face massive budget deficits and devastating cuts to services are looming. This crisis here in San Francisco is unfortunately not unique, as public transportation across the country has been underfunded and neglected for decades.
We can fix this. In Congress, I will fight to repurpose funding from new highway projects to instead subsidize the day-to-day operations of transit agencies — something that has not been done since the 1990s. But more funding is not enough. I want to set Muni and BART on a path to thrive for decades to come. For example, I call for using federal incentives to build hundreds of units of affordable housing on Muni-owned land. This would allow Muni to generate more revenue and help solve our housing crisis.
Kick Out PG&E
In San Francisco, our utility bills are at the mercy of PG&E. And guess what? They increased electricity rates six different times in 2024, and over the last three years the average PG&E bill has gone up by 56%. The money from these rate hikes isn’t even used to improve infrastructure or services - it goes straight to wealthy shareholders. This means critical infrastructure is not fixed. In fact, the electrical substation that caught on fire and caused the massive blackout in December 2025 has a history of catching on fire and cutting off power! San Franciscans deserve better..
It is time to turn PG&E into a public utility that serves the people. San Francisco already has the power to do this through the 1913 Raker Act, yet PG&E has successfully lobbied politicians and regulators for over a century to not enforce this. In Congress, I will use my position to finally enforce the Raker Act and oversee a deal that ends PG&E price gouging once and for all. Once established, I will fight to ensure our public utility has federal funding to develop cutting-edge infrastructure and clean energy technologies.
Universal Pre-K and Daycare
Here in San Francisco, the average cost of daycare and pre-K is now over $2,000 a month per child — the second largest monthly expense for most families, only eclipsed by housing. For the lucky few who can afford this, there aren't enough spots, and the waitlist for care can be as long as two years. The outrageous cost and stress this places on families does not need to be a fact of life.
Childcare is so expensive because the government has underinvested in it for decades. In Congress, I promise to fight for legislation that provides universal childcare to every American. At the same time, we must significantly increase the number of childcare providers, which is why I will fight for federal investments to recruit new childcare workers and pay them as the high-skill professionals they are. I know that with the right leadership, we can have high-quality, affordable childcare centers in every neighborhood in San Francisco.
Monthly Child Stipend
Raising a family has never been more expensive, especially here in San Francisco. Families are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of recurring expenses, such as clothing, school supplies, and groceries. This challenge is especially acute in San Francisco, where the cost of living is nearly 20% higher than the national average. We need to implement bold new plans to put money back into the pockets of parents. That is why I support legislation creating a national child stipend that deposits $300 per child into a parent's bank account each month. Not only will this program help all families make ends meet, studies have shown that it will cut childhood poverty by up to 40%.
Medicare for All
The United States spends more on healthcare than any other country. What do we have to show for it? 27 million uninsured adults, four million uninsured children, ever-increasing premiums, prescription drug prices nearly three times higher than in other countries, and some of the worst health outcomes in the world.
For decades, politicians have promised to fix our healthcare system, but nothing fundamentally changes. Both parties take millions from pharmaceutical companies and insurance lobbyists while Americans drown in medical debt. If you send me to Washington, I will take on companies that exploit patients and build a healthcare system that works for the people.
I believe that the best way to guarantee high-quality healthcare for all Americans is with a Medicare for All system. Medicare for All would provide Americans with high-quality healthcare without monthly premiums or deductibles. I will also make sure that any Medicare for All plan covers hearing, dental, vision, in-home care, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. Multiple studies have shown that America would actually spend far less on healthcare each year with Medicare for All than under our existing system.
I will also stand up to prescription drug companies that price gouge consumers. Drug companies relentlessly hike up prices for prescriptions and use that money to reward their wealthy shareholders. I will fight back against corporate price gouging by supporting legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate prices for all drugs. Furthermore, I will propose legislation creating a new public corporation that manufactures common generic prescription drugs and sells them to the American people at cost — no more insane markups for lifesaving drugs.
Healthcare is a human right, and it's time to deliver healthcare that works for all Americans.
Paid Parental Leave
The United States is the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee paid parental leave. It is absurd that, in the richest country in the world, we force parents to choose between spending time with their child or uprooting their careers.
I am forever grateful for the time I was able to spend with my family after my daughter was born, and I want every family in America to have the same opportunity without worrying about how they will pay their bills. That is why I support legislation guaranteeing 24 weeks of paid parental leave for every family in America. Studies have consistently shown that paid family leave improves the health of new parents and babies, reduces the gender wage gap by allowing new mothers to stay in their careers, and actually makes workers more productive. It is time for the United States to catch up to the rest of the world and guarantee paid parental leave.
Tuition-Free Public Universities and Trade Schools
No one should go into tens of thousands of dollars of debt to get an education. Yet every year, we force millions of Americans to choose between crushing debt or not going to college. A child born today who attends a four-year public college in 18 years can expect to pay $150-200K for their education. This system makes no sense and is unsustainable. Exorbitant student loans prevent so many San Franciscans from pursuing their dreams or simply making ends meet. An education in this country should not come at such a high cost. We should be encouraging people to pursue higher education, not making it harder.
The solution is simple: we need tuition-free public universities and trade schools. California offered free tuition at public universities until the late 1970s, and many countries around the world still do today. This is an investment in our economy and our future — when people can pursue education without crushing debt, everyone benefits. In Congress, I'll support the College for All Act to make public colleges, community colleges, and trade schools tuition-free. I'll also fight to expand Pell grants and work-study programs so students can afford housing, books, and living expenses while in school.
Stop Corporations from Ripping You Off
Americans are nickel and dimed every day, from bank and airline junk fees to fine print that blocks you from suing lawbreaking companies. These are more than just inconveniences; they cost families real money. For decades, the federal agencies that Congress set up to protect consumers have been starved of resources, with corporate donors lobbying to let banks and Big Tech off the hook for wrongdoing. And now, with Trump back in charge, those corporate interests have more power than ever, and when the next crisis hits, the same politicians who cut our government watchdogs will complain that the government failed to act.
As your congressman, I will work tirelessly to make the government work for consumers again. I’ll fight against predatory financial practices like bank overdraft fees, late fees, and exorbitant credit card interest rates. I pledge to support the Public Banking Act and Postal Banking Act to expand affordable credit to low-income households. And when you shop, the price you see should be the price you pay at checkout— that is why I will fight for legislation banning hidden fees.
I will also fight to restore and protect your fundamental consumer rights. I will fight to guarantee a right to repair so consumers can repair their own products. I will also work to pass the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act (FAIR Act) to restore your right to sue companies that break the law and the Workforce Mobility Act to ban non-compete clauses that trap workers in their jobs. Finally, I will make sure Congress properly funds and empowers our government watchdogs, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission, so they can effectively police corporate abuse and break up monopolies across all sectors of our economy.
Build the High Speed Rail
In 2008, California voters approved a bullet train connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours. Construction is underway — but Trump just pulled $4 billion in federal funding as political retribution against our state. Republicans in Congress then quietly made the project permanently ineligible for future federal support.
This is sabotage, not policy. The federal government has always been a partner in building major infrastructure. California has already committed $1 billion a year through 2045. What we need is a Congress that honors its commitments.
In Congress, I will:
- Introduce legislation to restore the $4 billion in federal grants and repeal the defunding provision
- Fight for full federal investment to complete the line from San Francisco's Transbay Terminal to downtown LA
- Champion a national high speed rail strategy
- Ensure every rail dollar comes with strong union wage and labor protections
This is about more than one rail line. This is about whether we, as a nation, can still do big things. We must use this project as a way to build up the capacity to then keep going – to build more rail faster and cheaper.
Seventy miles of guideway are already built. Dozens of major structures are complete. Abandoning it now would be one of the most wasteful infrastructure decisions in American history. We need to finish what California started.
Preventing Housing Displacement
As we build new housing to end the housing crisis, we also need to protect our neighbors who are already here. I know that for many long-time residents, new development can feel threatening. When you're already struggling to pay rent, it's natural to worry about being priced out as your neighborhood changes. While evidence shows that building more housing lowers prices over time, we need strong protections to ensure no one gets displaced along the way. That is why I have a comprehensive plan to protect affordable housing and prevent displacement in San Francisco.
In Congress, I'll fight for legislation that expands rental assistance programs for low-income renters at risk of eviction, introduces federal support for community land trusts that protect existing affordable housing, and increases access to housing vouchers. I'll also support making rent payments tax-deductible — just like mortgage payments are — to level the playing field between renters and homeowners. And I will use my position in Congress to go after corporate landlords that engage in price-fixing and predatory speculation. Housing should be for people to live in, not for big corporations to gamble with.
With the right protections in place, we can build more housing while keeping our communities stable and intact.
Expand Freedom
Stop Trump's Authoritarian Coup
Make no mistake: Trump is attempting an authoritarian coup. He is doing it by taking a wrecking ball to our government and other public institutions. He’s going after law firms and universities to take more and more control over our civil society. He’s creating a vigilante police force of masked agents in unmarked vans who pick up our neighbors off the streets and disappear them into far off detention centers. And we already know he and the Republicans in Congress will dispute the results of any election where they don’t win.
In my first term in Congress, I would be lying to you if I said I could get all the big ideas in this platform done with Trump still President. My main job in that first term is going to be to protect San Franciscans from Trump’s attacks and make sure Trump does not destroy our democracy.
To protect San Franciscans, I will build the best constituent services office in the country. Most people don’t know this, but your Congressperson is supposed to be your chief advocate when you have a complaint with the federal government. That means if you don’t get a social security check, or your spouse is picked up by ICE, you should be able to go to your Congressperson’s constituent services office and ask for help. And here’s the thing: it really works. As Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, I helped build her constituent services office in New York. At the time, Trump was in power and waging a war on immigrants – and AOC’s district was the most immigrant-heavy district in the country. I was amazed at how a simple phone call from her office could unblock a blocked citizenship application or stop a deportation in progress. It showed me just how powerful a congressional office can be when it fights for its constituents, and I am very proud of the work we did there.
To stop Trump's attacks on our civil institutions, I will treat my job as more than a legislator – I plan to be an organizer. I will actively organize law firms and universities under attack from Trump to get them to oppose Trump as collective blocs. It’s easy for Trump to go after one law firm at a time – but if they collectively oppose him, they have the power. It’s difficult for any single law firm to organize this, but a legislator could.
I will also fight to ensure we have fair and free elections in 2028. Republicans have actively been taking over county election boards – the bodies that count and certify elections – and filling them with election deniers. I will act to reverse this and to call it out where it’s happening. I will do everything in my power to make sure it is impossible for Republicans to steal an election by denying the results in 2028.
Create Real Public Safety
San Franciscans deserve clean streets, safe neighborhoods, and a justice system that treats everyone with dignity. While we've made real progress, too many residents still feel unsafe walking to work, riding Muni, or spending time in our parks. The conversation around crime is often reduced to a false choice: return to the failed "tough on crime" policies of the 1990s or ignore the real challenges people face every day. I reject this binary. Our problems are complex, and they demand solutions that are thoughtful, effective, and rooted in our shared values.
We deserve a public safety plan that is holistic and accountable to communities. It must invest in alternative responders like mental health specialists, addiction counselors, and social workers who can de-escalate crises and connect people to help. I'll work to ensure every federal public safety grant includes funding for these kinds of responses. At the same time, San Francisco is short more than 500 police officers — a gap that strains our system and drives up costs. In Congress, I'll support rebuilding a well-trained police force that builds collective trust with communities. I'll fight to demilitarize local departments, reform qualified immunity, and require body cameras for any agency receiving federal funds.
Fully Fund Public Schools
Everyday, I hear from parents in our city who are worried about their children's education — and for good reason. Reading and math scores are at their lowest level in over 20 years; less than half of 3rd graders in California read at grade level; and while our teachers are doing everything they can to help, they are grossly underpaid. Here in San Francisco, our public school system is facing a $110 million budget shortfall and may be forced to close schools. Parents and educators know this is an emergency, so why aren't our leaders in Congress acting like it?
In Congress, I'll fight for every child's right to a high-quality public education. That starts with doubling federal funding for Title I schools (including 17 here in San Francisco). I attended a Title 1 middle school and high school, and I know how crucial these funds are for low-income students. I will also fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the first time, push for a Green New Deal for Public Schools to rebuild crumbling infrastructure, and for new federal grants for tutoring, after-school programs, summer learning, and universal free school meals.
Every teacher who teaches in San Francisco deserves to live in San Francisco, but the cost of living in this city is currently driving teachers out. That's why I will support legislation to cancel student debt for school staff after five years of service, establish a national minimum teacher salary of $60,000 with annual cost-of-living raises, and provide much-needed rental and mortgage assistance to school employees.
And finally, I will defend academic freedom. I'll oppose politically motivated book bans and work to repeal laws like AB 715 that censor how schools teach about Israel, Palestine, and the broader conflict. Our students and teachers deserve honesty, not censorship.
View my K-12 education white paper
Enshrine Reproductive Rights
Reproductive freedom is under attack across our country. In over 20 states, Republicans have passed extreme abortion bans, threatened access to birth control, and even jailed doctors. They won't stop there. Although we are lucky to live in a state that protects reproductive freedom, Trump’s Project 2025 made clear that the goal is a national abortion ban. We need leaders who are capable of fighting back against MAGA’s extreme anti-choice agenda.
Democrats in Congress had nearly 50 years to codify Roe v. Wade into law to protect reproductive freedom, but they never did. For too long, Democratic leadership relied solely on the Supreme Court to protect our fundamental civil rights. When Republicans captured the courts, they had no line of defense. The Democratic establishment’s failure to secure our fundamental rights left us all vulnerable to attack.
I will not make that mistake. I won't stand by while Republicans undermine basic human rights. It is every person's right to make decisions about their body and to choose if and when to have children. Those decisions certainly shouldn't be made by Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, or any other politician. In Congress, I promise to be a fierce defender of reproductive rights by:
- Codifying the rights given to women in Roe vs. Wade into law by passing the Women's Health Protection Act.
- Codifying the right to contraception introduced in Griswold Vs. Connecticut by passing the Right to Contraception Act.
- Allowing publicly funded insurance, such as Medicaid or Medicare, to pay for abortions by repealing the Hyde Amendment.
- Expanding Title X funding to ensure that low-income Americans have access to contraceptives and reproductive healthcare services.
- Repealing the Comstock Act, an obscure law from the 1870s that many Republicans want to use to institute a national abortion ban.
End the Wars
We need to stop bombing and sanctioning countries every chance we get. We’ve destroyed our standing with the world and our unhinged foreign policy is leading us to ruin. We need to have a complete change in our foreign policy to become one where we follow international law and do business with other countries instead of coercing them. We should be doing the modern day version of the Marshall Plan, except this time to help developing nations create their own clean, sustainable, and prosperous economies — that would be a win-win for the United States and the world.
I’ve also been a vocal critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, as well as the race to war with Iran. If elected, I’d be a vote to end all military aid to Israel.
I believe Congress—not the president—should decide when America goes to war. I support repealing outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and backing legislation like the National Security Powers Act to end forever wars, close legal loopholes, and make sure no president can unilaterally drag the U.S. into conflict.
Protect the LGBTQ+ Community
From the Compton Cafeteria Riots, to Harvey Milk, to being one of the first cities to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, San Francisco has been at the forefront of the LGBTQ+ movement for generations. Anyone who wants to represent San Francisco in Congress has the sacred duty to be a national leader and fierce defender of LGBTQ rights, and I promise to fulfill that duty every day.
San Francisco has always stood up for those who others try to tear down. I'm running for Congress to make sure that legacy continues. I want every LGBTQ+ American to know they have a fighter in Washington who will never stop advocating for their rights, their safety, and the freedom to live their lives.
In Congress, I promise to be a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and dignity. That is why I will fight to ensure that we consider the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in every piece of legislation we pass. Some of my priorities include:
- Passing the Equality Act, which would finally ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, education, and public accommodations.
- Fighting back against any federal attempts to target transgender students or restrict their participation in school activities.
- Codifying the right to change your gender identity on government documents, including non-binary gender markers.
- Creating a Medicare-for-All healthcare system that includes full coverage for gender affirming care, contraception, and PrEP.
- A national housing plan that includes doubling the number of public housing units in the country, including new transitional housing to support people experiencing homelessness — which will especially benefit LGBTQ+ youth and adults who face disproportionately high rates of housing insecurity.
Disability Rights
People with disabilities deserve the freedom to pursue the American Dream without government policies that punish them for getting married, finding work, or simply trying to live independently. Right now, our system creates impossible choices that trap people in poverty and dependence.
Federal benefit programs like Supplemental Security Income currently penalize disabled people for getting married—forcing couples to choose between their relationship and the benefits they need to survive. Similarly, many people with disabilities avoid employment or limit their hours because earning income can trigger the immediate loss of healthcare and financial assistance, leaving them worse off than before working. These policies are cruel and counterproductive. I will fight to eliminate marriage penalties in SSI and create a gradual benefits phase-out system that allows people to increase their earnings without facing a sudden cliff where they lose everything. People with disabilities should be able to work, marry, and build the lives they want without fear of losing the support they need.
We also need to address employment discrimination. Many workplaces are reluctant to hire disabled workers because they perceive accommodations as too costly. The federal government should establish a robust accommodation subsidy program to offset these costs for employers, making it easier for people with disabilities to find good jobs. Combined with strong enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, these changes will help ensure that people with disabilities have real opportunities to participate fully in our economy and society.
Stop Funding Genocide
For the past two years, Netanyahu and his government have waged a barbaric campaign of bombardment, starvation, and psychological terror against the Palestinian people - violating the well-established laws of war and basic human decency. The Israeli regime has blocked the UN and other aid groups from delivering lifesaving supplies to Palestinians, engineered a famine afflicting over two million people, killed more than 60,000 civilians and 250 journalists, and reduced over 80 percent of Gaza's buildings to rubble.
I have never minced words on this issue: Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide. The United Nations, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Israeli human rights groups have all reached the same conclusion.
I want to emphasize that, while I grieve deeply for the people of Palestine, I also mourn for the Israeli people who have suffered in the cycle of violence. Hamas committed war crimes by killing Israeli civilians on October 7. For the 250 Israelis who were kidnapped, I can only imagine the anguish that the families of hostages must have felt as they spent months in uncertainty, not knowing whether their loved ones were still alive. While Israel has the responsibility to ensure the safety of its civilians, it must adhere to international law. Both Israelis' and Palestinians' right to safety, sovereignty, and peace must be respected.
Sadly, the violence and genocide overseas has impacted our communities at home. Many San Franciscans have lost loved ones or have felt the sting of antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, and islamophobia. I firmly condemn such hate, and it should not be controversial to condemn genocide, demand accountability, and stand against hatred and censorship of our Jewish, Palestinian, and Muslim neighbors alike.
Today, while I am hopeful for a lasting ceasefire and an end to the genocide, we cannot be deceived by attempts from Trump and Netanyahu to distract us from reality. There is no ceasefire, and Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people continues. Israel is still bombing Gaza and restricting desperately needed aid, such as food and medical supplies — causing thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to go hungry and die from preventable diseases. Once in Congress, I will work to hold the Israeli government accountable for these crimes, and ensure that our tax dollars are not longer used to finance genocide by supporting an arms embargo. I support the Block the Bombs Act and House Resolution 876 recognizing the genocide against the Palestinian people.
Lasting peace will require much more than empty promises. The first step is to end Israel's genocide in Gaza, and stop the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. After that, we must engage in a process that includes not only Israelis but also Palestinians, who have historically been left out of any peace process in the region and denied agency and actual sovereignty. Any peace agreement in the region must have the full, democratic backing of all those affected. And finally, there must be justice and accountability for those guilty of war crimes.
I want to be clear - this is not just about Israel and Palestine. The United States must always call out genocide and other atrocities wherever they occur and never fund it; failing to do so erodes our credibility and signals tolerance for such crimes, further undermining international laws and norms. While Israel's genocide in Gaza has, rightfully, received a lot of attention, many don't know that the United States is indirectly funding a genocide in Sudan. Since 2023, Sudan has been immersed in conflict which has turned into one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with over 12 million people displaced and upwards of 400,000 killed. The United States determined earlier this year that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied militias are committing genocide against non-Arab ethnic groups in Sudan. The RSF's campaign has been sustained in large part by weapons and funding from the United Arab Emirates, a key U.S. ally in the region to whom we provide military funding. We must stop funding and selling arms to the UAE's military as long as they are using those funds and arms to enable a genocide in Sudan, and we must apply meaningful pressure on the UAE to end the violence in Sudan.
Build a New Economy for All
Build the Clean Economy to Create Prosperity for All
America used to build things. A few years before Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt began building the Arsenal of Democracy that would go on to win World War II. He put all of America to work building the world's most powerful industrial economy. That not only defeated fascism, but built the wealth that created the modern day middle class and ended the Great Depression.
Today, the climate crisis is both the toughest challenge and the greatest economic opportunity humanity has ever seen. Instead of upgrading our economy to build war materiel and machines, we need to replace the old, dirty economy that's causing massive wildfires, droughts, and pollution with a new, clean economy that delivers prosperity to all.
As Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff, I helped author the Green New Deal, which directly led to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which created the largest investment in climate change in history. I also co-founded the think tank New Consensus, where I've spent the last six years creating the Mission for America (MFA) — a successor to the Green New Deal. The Mission for America is a detailed, comprehensive, and practical plan to rapidly slash emissions and create prosperity for all by building the most valuable goods and services that the whole world needs to build a clean economy. It includes more than 20 national plans to upgrade and expand every sector of our economy, laying out exactly what we need to do to build the high-tech, clean industries and infrastructure for each.
Read the full Mission for America plan
Welcome Immigrants
The Trump administration's immigration policies are cruel, authoritarian, and fundamentally un-American. ICE has gone off the rails and become a paramilitary tool to instill fear: detaining without due process, operating in secrecy, tearing families apart, and horrifically killing an American citizen. These are not policies that live up to our values or put America first.
We used to proactively seek-out immigrants who sought the American Dream. My parents came to this country through a U.S. immigration office in India, where they were encouraged to apply for visas. We must be a nation that believes immigrants should come here to build our country. Doing so is not only a strategic investment that fuels innovation and prosperity, but also a reflection of the values that make this country great.
When elected, I'll fight to repeal outdated laws like the Alien Enemies Act, end courthouse detentions, and vote to abolish ICE. I'll work to protect sanctuary cities, expand legal pathways, reform and protect the H-1B visa process, reunite families torn apart, and treat asylum seekers with dignity.
Making the Wealthy and Corporations Pay Their Fair Share
For decades, Washington has handed out massive tax breaks to the richest Americans and big corporations while hollowing out public services. The result is exploding inequality and a strained federal budget that leaves everyday people being asked to sacrifice while elites benefit.
This is an intensely personal issue for me. I grew up in a middle-class family, but after I helped build the payment processing company Stripe, I became a centimillionaire — at least on paper — myself. For me, it was a shocking and weird experience. I got lucky. Sure, I worked hard, but harder than a public school teacher or a nurse? No. Plenty of people work hard but never win the lottery like I did. We have to address the rampant wealth inequality in America by making sure that the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes and that we use that money to invest in working people.
I am running on an ambitious, progressive platform to fix the nation's budget and invest heavily in programs that support working families — from universal childcare to Medicare for All to more affordable housing. The only way that any of this will be possible is if we fix our broken tax system and make the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share.
In Congress, I will fight to:
- Pass the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act proposed by Elizabeth Warren and Pramila Jayapal. This bill creates a wealth tax on all assets owned by the top 0.05 percent of Americans by having them pay 2 cents for every dollar of wealth over $50 million, and 3 cents for every dollar of wealth over $1 billion. Studies estimate that this tax alone could raise close to $3 trillion over the next ten years.
- Raise taxes on high earners and corporations to New Deal levels. During the 1950s and 60s — a period of unprecedented economic growth and middle-class prosperity — the top marginal income tax rate was over 90% and the corporate tax rate was over 50%.
- Raise the Social Security income cap so all earnings are treated the same. Currently, only the first $168,000 of income is taxed to pay for Social Security. Therefore, someone making $100,000 pays Social Security taxes on every dollar, while a multimillion-dollar earner pays on only a small share of their income. Eliminating the cap ensures high earners contribute at the same rate as everyone else.
- Close the carried interest loophole. Right now, wealthy private equity and hedge fund managers pay a lower tax rate on their income than nurses and firefighters. That's because their compensation — called "carried interest" — is taxed at the capital gains rate instead of as ordinary income.
- Introduce a tax on margin loans used by the ultra-wealthy to avoid taxes. Billionaires have learned how to live lavishly without ever paying income tax. Instead of selling their stock and paying capital gains taxes, they borrow against it — giving them tax-free income. I will fight to close this loophole by treating large loans against appreciated assets as taxable events.
Empower Workers
Our mobilization for World War II created unprecedented levels of new wealth in America by building a whole new industrial economy. When Roosevelt did this, he unequivocally stood by unions so that the wealth from this new economy would be shared, creating the middle class. Today, we see an unprecedented level of the wealth our economy creates going to the owners and shareholders instead of the workers, and this upward transfer of wealth is decimating our middle and working class. We must reverse this, especially as we embark on a mission to create vast amounts of new wealth by building a new, clean economy. As your Congressman, here is how I plan to make sure workers get their fair share of the prosperity they are building:
- Pass the Raise the Wage Act to increase the federal minimum wage and index it to local cost of living, setting it at $25 in San Francisco.
- Support every American’s right to join a union by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
- Promote sectoral bargaining — where workers across an entire industry negotiate wages and conditions together, not just at individual companies — to raise the wages of millions of Americans.
- Crackdown on wage theft — the most common form of theft in the United States — by making intentional and repeated wage theft a felony punishable with jail time.
- Guarantee every worker the legal right to bathroom, water, and rest breaks.
AI
Artificial intelligence will change many aspects of our economy and life, but we as a society should get to choose how that transformation unfolds. We do not need to accept a future where new AI technologies destroy jobs, sow distrust, or increase inequality. Rather, we should manage this transition together so that the benefits of AI technologies are spread throughout society and the negative side effects eliminated.
First, the federal government should ensure that new data centers do not make life harder for nearby residents. New data centers consume huge amounts of electricity, and tech companies are trying to pass these costs down to normal people. Utility bills in areas near data centers are already going up. These costs should be paid by the companies themselves — not regular people who never asked for this. I will introduce legislation that requires data centers to pay for new energy generation and grid upgrades so that these costs are not passed down to residents.
Second, we need to regulate the models themselves and prevent inappropriate uses that harm people. Model developers need to be held to rigorous safety standards to prevent harmful outcomes from discrimination to unconsenting deepfakes. We should also regulate how AI chatbots interact with children and expressly prohibit chatbots from encouraging self-harm or engaging in any sexual content with children.
Third, we need to protect American workers from displacement. We should explore requiring companies that benefit from AI-driven productivity gains to contribute to a worker transition fund that supports displaced workers as they find new careers. Furthermore, we need to expand the social safety net so that workers can transition into new careers without worrying about how they'll pay their bills. That means true universal healthcare through Medicare for All, a monthly child stipend, and more affordable housing.
Finally, no taxpayer bailouts for data center companies. Tech giants are making massive profits and should bear the full costs and risks of their AI investments. If data center companies overextend themselves or face financial trouble, the federal government should not step in to rescue them with public money. These are private companies making private investment decisions, and they need to live with the consequences—good or bad—just like any other business.
End Political Corruption
Ban Congressional Stock Trading
I agree with the 90% of Americans that believe members of Congress shouldn't be allowed to trade stocks. Every year, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle make millions from trades that often seem based on insider knowledge gained in office.
Even if members of Congress are trading stocks not based on insider information, the appearance of corruption has destroyed trust in Congress. As your Congressman, I will not only support legislation to ban members of Congress from owning or trading stocks – I will introduce a discharge petition on day one to force a floor vote on it. This is the exact procedure that Rep. Khanna and Rep. Massie used to force a vote on releasing the Epstein Files, so we know it can work on issues like this where the vast majority of people are on our side.
End Money in Politics
Money is the root of much evil in our politics. In my time working as Chief of Staff to AOC, I saw over and over again how money not only corrupted legislation, but the threat of upsetting donors kept members from ever wanting to take action – even action that was overwhelmingly popular in their districts. Members of Congress spend 6-8 hours a day “dialing for dollars” to bring in campaign donations – it is quite literally their main job.
We must overturn Citizens United to get rid of unlimited money in our politics, but we should move beyond that. We must create a publicly financed election system to end the role of big money in politics. Places like New York City, Seattle, Arizona and Maine have versions of this already. We can win this nationally because an overwhelming majority of Americans support limiting the influence of money in politics.
I have pledged to take no corporate or lobbyist PAC money in this campaign. I am spending my time talking to voters, not big donors and when in Congress, I will spend my days doing my job rather than dialing for dollars.
— Saikat Chakrabarti's campaign website (March 5, 2026)
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Campaign finance summary
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House California District 11 |
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Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 3, 2025
- ↑ San Francisco Examiner, "Word on the Street: A 'once-in-a-generation' race for SF voters," January 8, 2026
- ↑ Mission Local, "And then there were three: The race to succeed Nancy Pelosi takes shape," November 24, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMLJan8 - ↑ Saikat Chakrabarti campaign website, "About me," accessed March 3, 2026
- ↑ Candidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia on November 14, 2025.
- ↑ Saikat Chakrabarti campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 5, 2026
- ↑ Connie Chan campaign website, "Meet Connie," accessed March 3, 2026
- ↑ Connie Chan campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 3, 2026
- ↑ Instagram, "Connie Chan on March 4, 2026," accessed March 5, 2026
- ↑ Scott Wiener campaign website, "Meet Scott," accessed March 3, 2026
- ↑ Scott Wiener campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 3, 2026
- ↑ Scott Wiener campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed March 5, 2026
- ↑ Democratic Party of California, "2026 Primary Election Endorsements," February 22, 2026
- ↑ Republican Party of California, "2026 Endorsements," accessed March 3, 2026
- ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
- ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
