Research Profile
Saikat Chakrabarti was born on January 12, 1986, in Fort Worth, Texas, and is of Bengali descent. He graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in computer science in 2007. His early career included work at Bridgewater Associates and various startups in Silicon Valley, where he co-founded a web design company and served as a founding engineer at Stripe, accumulating significant equity in the company Wikipedia.
Chakrabarti’s political activism began with his involvement in Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, where he served as Director of Organizing Technology, developing tools to mobilize grassroots supporters Saikat.us. He co-founded the political action committee Brand New Congress, aiming to recruit progressive candidates, and later co-founded Justice Democrats, which sought to challenge entrenched Democratic incumbents and successfully helped elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Chakrabarti served as Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff before leaving in 2019 to run for Congress himself Wikipedia.
Currently, Chakrabarti is a candidate for California’s 11th congressional district in the 2026 election, challenging incumbent Nancy Pelosi. His campaign emphasizes rebuilding the American Dream through campaign finance reform, opposition to corporate and lobbyist influence, and promoting progressive policies such as the Green New Deal. His campaign platform is centered on grassroots support, community involvement, and anti-corruption measures, notably advocating for overturning Citizens United Saikat.us.
His campaign activities include participating in debates organized with groups like the Harvey Milk Democratic Club and the Working Families Party, where he articulated his vision for progressive change and voter engagement Facebook - 48hills. Media coverage highlights his challenge to Nancy Pelosi, with interviews and campaign videos emphasizing his motivation to challenge the political establishment and push for systemic reforms NBC News. Polling data and market predictions suggest he remains a notable contender in the primary race, with some indications of advancing to the general election Kalshi.
In summary, Saikat Chakrabarti is a well-educated, experienced political activist and strategist with a strong progressive platform, actively campaigning to unseat Nancy Pelosi in California’s 11th district in 2026. His background in technology, grassroots organizing, and policy advocacy informs his campaign, which is characterized by a focus on reform, anti-corruption, and community-driven politics.