Nancy Pelosi Facing Primary Challenge From Former AOC Aide
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s situation appears to have worsened in recent weeks following a fall in Europe that resulted in emergency hip replacement surgery.
As Pelosi continues her recovery—she was spotted using a walker on the House floor just last week—she now faces a primary challenge from a far-left former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), according to a report released Thursday.
Saikat Chakrabarti, who previously served as AOC’s chief of staff, has declared his candidacy against Pelosi in the primary. Politico reported that Chakrabarti attributed his decision to run to Pelosi’s efforts to prevent Ocasio-Cortez from securing the top Democratic position on the House Oversight Committee.
“I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago,” Chakrabarti, a 39-year-old former tech entrepreneur, posted on the X platform. “America is stuck, and Americans want real solutions that are as big as the problems we face.”
Pelosi, who stepped down as House Speaker in 2022 after serving nearly two decades in the role, easily retained her heavily Democratic San Francisco district last year. Her office declined to comment on Chakrabarti’s candidacy.
Although she has officially filed paperwork to run for re-election in 2026, Pelosi has not publicly confirmed her intentions to seek another term. State Sen. Scott Wiener has been widely expected to enter the race should Pelosi step aside. Additionally, political analysts have speculated that Pelosi’s daughter, Christine, could launch a campaign for the seat if her mother were to retire.
Whoever emerges victorious in the primary is likely to win the general election and maintain the seat for years to come in the Democratic stronghold of San Francisco, Politico noted.
Meanwhile, Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, recently executed $38 million in stock trades in the weeks leading up to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, sparking renewed discussions over potential bans on stock trading for members of Congress and their immediate families.
According to The New York Post, these high-value transactions included “an investment in a once-obscure artificial intelligence firm whose shares have soared nearly 50% in the past week.”
Paul Pelosi sold $24 million worth of Apple stock and an additional $5 million in shares of AI chip manufacturer Nvidia.
Both of these notable stock sales were finalized on New Year’s Eve, as reported in government filings. By law, Nancy Pelosi is required to disclose her husband’s stock trades, The Post added.
In addition to his stock trades, Paul Pelosi has taken on a new role with Tempus AI, a Chicago-based health technology firm specializing in artificial intelligence applications for clinical and molecular data analysis.
Filings indicate that on January 14, Paul Pelosi acquired $100,000 worth of call options in Tempus AI. Since his involvement became public, the company’s stock value has risen significantly.
When trading commenced on January 14, Tempus AI shares were priced at approximately $32 each. However, as of Thursday, The Post reported that Tempus AI— which launched its IPO at $37 per share last June— had climbed to roughly $50.50 per share, reflecting a 60% surge.
Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi continues to recover from her hip surgery.
“Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend,” spokesperson Ian Krager stated in a mid-December press release to HuffPost.
The statement further noted that the former House Speaker was “grateful to U.S. military staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base and medical staff at Hospital Kirchberg in Luxembourg for their excellent care and kindness.”