Bizarre moment AOC-linked millionaire gets drag queen to endorse him for Nancy Pelosi’s seat
A wealthy technology entrepreneur from Silicon Valley has entered the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress, drawing attention after receiving support from a well-known drag performer.
Saikat Chakrabarti, 40, announced his campaign and posted a video on social media Friday featuring drag artist Peaches Christ endorsing him. In the video, the performer says the upcoming congressional contest presents San Francisco with an important choice: continue with the status quo or elect someone willing to challenge the systems she says are responsible for the city’s current problems.
During the appearance, the two joked and smiled as they promoted a planned “Drag Me To Vote” gathering scheduled for April 4 in San Francisco.
The video quickly sparked criticism online, with some questioning whether Chakrabarti was treating the campaign seriously. One commenter asked why he was focusing on publicity instead of addressing issues such as the high cost of living.
Others pointed to his wealth. One critic wrote that it made little sense to promote a billionaire when there were other candidates who were not extremely wealthy. Another commenter urged voters to support Connie Chan instead, asking why supporters were not backing the candidate who is a woman of color and has labor support. A different user argued that Chakrabarti had little connection to the city and called the endorsement a poor choice.
Chakrabarti is set to compete against San Francisco City Supervisor Connie Chan and State Senator Scott Wiener in the June midterm election after Pelosi announced in November that she would step down.
His candidacy has also drawn scrutiny because of his personal fortune in a city dealing with homelessness and extremely high housing costs, along with questions about his limited political experience. Earlier this month, Wiener criticized Chakrabarti for spending relatively little time in San Francisco and accused him of using his wealth to try to secure a seat in Congress.
Wiener said that while he does not have the financial resources his opponent does, he has decades of experience serving the city. He also wrote on social media that enormous personal wealth should not be able to determine the outcome of an election.
Before entering politics, Chakrabarti worked in the technology sector in Silicon Valley. He later became chief of staff to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and played a central role in developing the Green New Deal proposal.
In 2019, he abruptly left Ocasio-Cortez’s office after federal investigators began examining potential campaign finance issues. The investigation focused on two political action committees he helped create — Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats — which were designed to support progressive candidates nationwide.
The matter was later reviewed by the Federal Election Commission. The agency determined there had been no wrongdoing, and no charges were filed.
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