SAIKAT CHAKRABARTI
the complete lore · from texas to congress · est. 1986
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early life
saikat chakrabarti was born in 1986 in fort worth, texas. he studied computer science at harvard, graduating in 2007. came to sf in 2009 to start his own company, then became the second engineer at stripe — that was the day job. but he kept a list of problems he actually wanted to work on: inequality, poverty, climate change. when someone showed up running on exactly those things, the day job ended.
the bernie era
in 2016 saikat left stripe to join bernie sanders' campaign as director of organizing technology. his job was building the distributed-organizing tools that powered the small-dollar fundraising and volunteer machine — the infrastructure behind a movement that proved a national progressive campaign could run without corporate money. that playbook became the template for everything that came after.
the aoc arc
in 2018, saikat managed the campaign of a 28-year-old bartender from the bronx named alexandria ocasio-cortez. they pulled off one of the biggest primary upsets in modern american history — beating joe crowley, a 10-term incumbent and the no. 4 democrat in the house. saikat then served as her first chief of staff in dc. he left after about six months. they keep a good relationship — but she has not endorsed in this race.
the green new deal
the green new deal resolution was drafted in saikat's office. on february 7, 2019, aoc and senator ed markey introduced it in congress. it didn't pass — it wasn't supposed to, the first time. it was a vision document for what the next economy could look like, and most of the ideas in it are now mainstream democratic positions. saikat now runs new consensus, the think tank behind mission for america — a 20+ chapter follow-up he calls "our version of project 2025, but in reverse."
why sf, why now
saikat says the trigger was the 2024 election. democratic leadership looked, in his words, "paralyzed and unprepared" for a second trump term — and he decided the answer wasn't more of the same people. his own sf story is the cost-of-living argument in miniature: his first apartment here in 2009 was $500/month. the same place rents for $1,500 today. nancy pelosi is retiring; the seat is open. he's running to succeed her with an economy and a democracy "that actually work for ordinary people."
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✦ saikat's top connections ✦
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezthe upset of '18
Bernie Sandersthe origin story
Zohran Mamdanithe spiritual ally
Nancy Pelosiendorsed the wrong one
Justice Democratsbuilt this together
Jamaal Bowmanthe endorsementsaikat was the second engineer at stripe before going into politics.
he co-founded justice democrats in 2017 with other bernie alums — the org that recruited the squad.
the green new deal resolution was drafted in his office while he was aoc's chief of staff.
he grew up in texas but is running in san francisco.
his campaign takes $0 in corporate PAC money.
on day one he's pledged to file a discharge petition to force a floor vote banning congressional stock trading.
endorsed by the sunrise movement and former rep. jamaal bowman.
