CA-11: He Name-Drops Ocasio-Cortez in His Bid for Congress. She Doesn't Talk About Him at All.

[RandySF]

Connie Chan, a left-wing San Francisco supervisor running for the House seat held by Representative Nancy Pelosi, the retiring former speaker, recently secured a key endorsement: Ms. Pelosi herself.

Saikat Chakrabarti, Ms. Chan’s progressive rival, boasts a different powerhouse affiliation: He served as chief of staff for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, in 2019. But a roving billboard that follows him to campaign stops with the message “A.O.C. FIRED SAIKAT” — referring to Ms. Ocasio-Cortez by her initials — makes clear that the relationship is, well, complicated.

Mr. Chakrabarti has made his time with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez central to his anti-establishment campaign. He has repeatedly invoked the connection in speeches, promoted advertisements with a photo featuring the two of them and introduced himself to voters as someone who “used to work with A.O.C.”

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, has backed multiple left-wing House candidates in recent weeks, campaigning with one in Philadelphia and planning a trip to western Montana to support another. But she won’t even mention her former chief of staff’s name.




https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/us/politics/saikat-chakrabarti-aoc-sf-pelosi-seat.html

[RandySF]

1. AOC Quote

“I’m just not commenting on the race,” she replied. She also told The San Francisco Chronicle that she was “refraining from commenting on the race at this point.

”

[Attilatheblond]

2. So, another man trying to 'cash in' on nearness to the good labors of a woman who bucks the system?

Yeah, I am glad the roving billboard follows him.

[SSJVegeta]

4. Who else are you thinking of?

[SSJVegeta]

3. Would love to see who she actually endorses

Would be disappointed if she doesnt endorse anybody at all

[RandySF]

5. Chan would be the natural choice.

She has labor and other progressive groups united behind her.

[Sympthsical]

6. There's only a week left in the primary

It definitely feels like she's letting her silence speak for itself.

[SSJVegeta]

7. If i were in the district i definitely wouldnt vote for him strictly based on this fact

[Sympthsical]

8. He's just . . . skeevy

On paper, he'd be up my progressive ally in theory.

But Wiener and Chan have both put in the work. They're both fine. He's kind of a thing.

I'm in the Bay Area, but not that district. But I know friends who do live in the city have soured on him over time. I think AOC pointedly avoiding him has gotten the message across that something's up with him. And then he brought Piker in, and that was kind of that with many of them.

[SSJVegeta]

9. Theres gotta be a pretty significant reason as to why she isnt endoesing her former chief of staff

I also think we deserve to kmow that reason

[fujiyamasan]

10. What's with some so called progressive candidates hsving Piker at their rallies?

Does he really have that much appeal? I just don’t get it.

[Sympthsical]

11. They think he'll draw young Leftists into the primary

Where their sway would be a bit more significant than in a general. Particularly in a jungle primary where 15-20% could get you into the general.

Also, Piker's PR people have been pushing him extremely hard the past year to "mainstream" him. I can't stand him. Not politically. Not as a person. And, of course, Republicans adore him. They know he'd be divisive within the Democratic Party if he ever got situated, and he'd be total poison in a general.

Sometimes I wonder if he's a stupidly controlled OP.