AOC Stays Silent as He Appeals to Voters in Congressional Bid

Connie Chan, a left-wing San Francisco supervisor running for the House seat being vacated by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, recently gained Pelosi’s endorsement. Her progressive rival, Saikat Chakrabarti, is leaning on a different political connection: his past role as chief of staff to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2019. But the relationship has become a campaign liability as Ocasio-Cortez refuses to endorse or even mention him, fueling questions about whether he left her office on bad terms.

Chakrabarti has centered his campaign on his progressive résumé, repeatedly invoking his work with Ocasio-Cortez in speeches and ads, and introducing himself to voters as someone who “used to work with A.O.C.” Yet the congresswoman has backed other left-wing House candidates in recent weeks while declining to comment on the San Francisco race. Her silence has intensified speculation, especially as Chakrabarti trails State Senator Scott Wiener and is locked in a close battle with Chan for second place in California’s top-two primary on June 2.

Chakrabarti, a wealthy former software engineer who worked on Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, co-founded Justice Democrats and helped recruit Ocasio-Cortez to Congress. He later joined her in Washington during her chaotic first months on Capitol Hill, when she clashed with Democratic leaders, including Pelosi. That period strained relations with party establishment figures, though Ocasio-Cortez’s relationship with Pelosi later improved after Chakrabarti left her office. Chakrabarti insists he was not fired and says he still has a good relationship with his former boss, though he has not said when they last spoke and says he is still hoping for her endorsement.

The awkwardness has become a focus of the race. Campaign attacks have included a roving billboard and van accusing Ocasio-Cortez of having “FIRED SAIKAT,” while mailers backing Chan and Wiener have highlighted Chakrabarti’s lack of support from the congresswoman. Wiener has said Chakrabarti’s frequent references to Ocasio-Cortez without her endorsement are “shady and disrespectful.” Chakrabarti counters that the criticism is meant to distract from Wiener’s vulnerabilities and his ties to corporate AI donors.

Despite the controversy, Chakrabarti has drawn support from prominent progressives including Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. He has also spent heavily on the campaign, pouring about $10 million of his own money into the race. His message of “strategic confrontation” has resonated with liberal voters in San Francisco, where he has appeared alongside progressive candidates and activist Hasan Piker. At a recent rally, Chakrabarti tried to celebrate his ties to Ocasio-Cortez even as the crowd’s cheers highlighted the enduring force — and uncertainty — of that connection.