Chakrabarti positioned third within the June major to switch Rep. Nancy Pelosi and is now directing his supporters to again his former opponent within the normal election.
Congressional candidate Saikat Chakrabarti addresses to his supporters throughout election night time occasion at The Chapel on June 3, 2026, in San Francisco. Chakrabarti is throwing his efforts behind his former opponent, Supervisor Connie Chan. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)
“It’s extraordinarily essential that we’ve got somebody representing San Francisco who’s for a tax on the ultra-rich, and Connie’s the one candidate proper now that helps that,” Chakrabarti mentioned. “And it’s actually essential that we’ve got somebody representing San Francisco who doesn’t take company cash.”
Chakrabarti mentioned along with the unbiased expenditure marketing campaign, he’s directing the greater than 200 paid workers members from his run to pivot their door knocking and different discipline efforts to assist Chan as nicely.
He instructed KQED that he plans to place cash into the committee backing Chan “on the similar tempo” that he was funding his personal marketing campaign by way of a minimum of July 10.
Chakrabarti ran probably the most costly self-funded campaigns, pouring $10 million of his personal wealth from a former profession as a tech engineer into the race. Whereas Chan amassed broad assist from labor unions, her marketing campaign raised solely a small fraction of the cash in comparison with Chakrabarti.
“This marketing campaign has at all times been about empowering working folks — not cozying as much as huge firms. I welcome Saikat’s endorsement and can work each day to earn the vote of each particular person in San Francisco,” Chan mentioned in a press release in regards to the endorsement.
Candidates should not allowed to straight coordinate with unbiased expenditures, and Chan didn’t touch upon Chakrabarti’s fundraising.
“Collectively, we are able to stand as much as company energy and produce the voices of working households to Washington.”
Chakrabarti, who beforehand labored as chief of workers for New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, ran as a progressive Democrat centered on altering the Democratic Get together and breaking ties with company donors.
However as a political outsider, he had little footprint in San Francisco’s small however mighty political circles and was not shy to criticize Democratic leaders like Pelosi, who has held the seat representing San Francisco for almost 4 many years.
Chan, additionally a progressive Democrat who moved to San Francisco from Hong Kong in her youth, has labored for years in Metropolis Corridor and obtained the coveted endorsement from Pelosi herself.
Jason McDaniel, a political science professor at San Francisco State College, mentioned Chakrabarti’s transfer to again Chan might assist consolidate extra left-leaning voters.
“It’s sending a sign to a whole lot of the type of progressive voters and leaders within the metropolis that there’s a sense of unity and solidarity. I do assume that one essential a part of this,” he mentioned.
Chakrabarti acknowledged that his marketing campaign doubtless cut up some progressive voters and mentioned he was comfortable to “consolidate the progressive motion.”
However Chakrabarti’s endorsement isn’t assured to be a giant increase for Chan’s marketing campaign, McDaniel mentioned, noting that Chakrabarti did nicely amongst some demographics reminiscent of youthful tech staff who may peel off and go for Wiener, the extra average of the three.
“Some folks, possibly type of youthful tech kind staff, noticed Chakrabarti as a change agent,” he mentioned. “Some related voters see Scott Wiener because the one who additionally possibly represents change and who’s nonetheless comparatively progressive and really liberal.”
Wiener, a productive state lawmaker who additionally beforehand served as a neighborhood supervisor, obtained endorsements and hefty marketing campaign contributions from varied tech leaders in addition to teams like San Francisco YIMBY, the average political group GrowSF and the San Francisco Democratic Get together.
“Connie Chan has constructed a profession on blocking housing and affordability for younger folks — the identical voters Saikat claimed to talk for,” mentioned Joe Arellano, marketing campaign spokesperson for Wiener. “With this transfer, it’s clear that Saikat by no means cared about what’s greatest for San Francisco. He was solely within the race to stroke his huge ego.”
Wiener was projected to be the frontrunner in June and got here out with almost 41% of the vote within the June major.
Chan got here in second with roughly 30%, increased than current polling had projected, and Chakrabarti got here in third with 18% of votes.
“Every week in the past, Saikat was working Connie Chan assault advertisements, calling her ‘the institution,’ and saying she’s a puppet of AIPAC. Now he’s endorsing her?” Arellano mentioned. “That is the cynical politics that voters hate.”
Chakrabarti mentioned his assist for Chan comes all the way down to desirous to reshape democratic politics in Washington, D.C.
“I by no means believed that it’s all about one race or one seat. I’ve at all times thought it must be a motion of change,” Chakrabarti mentioned. “Connie Chan is a part of the motion in the best course for the Democratic Get together.”
