Saikat Chakrabarti Wins Endorsement of Second Squad Member With just 11 days remaining until the San Francisco primary, the congressional race has intensified as Saikat Chakrabarti, a progressive candidate, secures endorsements from two members of “The Squad,” a group of progressive representatives in Congress. Chakrabarti, who previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has now received backing from Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Despite the growing support, Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement remains pending, though Chakrabarti’s campaign continues to court her. Chakrabarti’s campaign has also become a major financial force in the race, with the candidate personally investing over $10 million into his congressional bid. This self-funding effort has allowed him to outspend his opponents, including Supervisor Connie Chan, who is also vying for the No. 2 spot in the June primary. Chan, however, has significantly less campaign money compared to Chakrabarti, who is leveraging his wealth from his tenure at Stripe, a financial technology company. Meanwhile, State Sen. Scott Wiener, another contender, is likely to advance to the general election and has been conserving his campaign funds for the November race. The race has also seen a surge in campaign finance activity, with political action committees (PACs) pouring over $1 million into efforts to keep mayoral allies Alan Wong and Stephen Sherrill on the Board of Supervisors. In District 2, all PAC funds are supporting Sherrill, while in District 4, unions are backing Natalie Gee through a PAC, and another PAC focused on Asian American candidates has allocated resources to David Lee. Creative election mailers have become a key strategy for candidates, with Chakrabarti’s campaign launching a particularly memorable one.#rashida_tlaib #ilhan_omar #alexandria_ocasio_cortez #saikat_chakrabarti #stripe
Squad-backed progressives hit with ‘cold shower’ as moderates win Illinois primaries Progressive Democrats backed by members of "The Squad" faced significant setbacks in Illinois primary elections, as moderate candidates secured victories in key races. The results signal a shift in voter preferences, with mainstream Democrats gaining traction over far-left contenders. The losses raised questions about the viability of the party’s progressive wing in securing broader support. James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, dismissed the notion that Squad-aligned candidates were gaining momentum. He noted that only about 15% of the party identifies as progressive, and even that group rarely dominates primary outcomes. Carville cited Zohran Mamdani, the socialist mayor of New York City, who won just 50.5% of the vote in his recent race, as an example of the limited appeal of far-left platforms. The defeats came despite high-profile endorsements from progressive lawmakers. Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Palestinian American candidate running on an anti-establishment platform, received backing from Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Similarly, Junaid Ahmed, a tech entrepreneur advocating for Gaza self-determination and universal healthcare, earned support from Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal. Robert Peters, a state senator who raised $1.1 million for his campaign focused on ending cash bail and raising the minimum wage, also lost to Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, despite endorsements from Sanders and Warren. Together, the progressive candidates raised over $5.7 million, yet their efforts failed to translate into electoral success. Anthony Driver Jr.#zohran_mamdani #james_carville #the_squad #rashida_tlaib #ilhan_omar
