Poll Shows Chakrabarti Surging Closer To Wiener In Race For Pelosi’s Seat

India-West News Desk

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in California’s 11th Congressional District has tightened significantly, according to a Data for Progress poll which has tech entrepreneur Saikat Chakrabarti now trailing State Senator Scott Wiener by a mere five percentage points.

According to a report by Mission Local, the survey commissioned by the Chakrabarti campaign shows Wiener leading with 33 percent of likely primary voters, while Chakrabarti has surged to 28 percent ahead of the June primary.

Supervisor Connie Chan currently sits in third place at 13 percent, though observers note the poll was conducted exclusively in English, potentially undercounting Chan’s support among the district’s significant Chinese-speaking population. The polling was also conducted, Mission Local pointed out, by the left-leaning Data for Progress.

Nevertheless, with the top two primary looming, the battle for the second general election slot is not an open and shut case for Chan, who has deep local political roots.

Despite his late entry into the race and initially low name recognition, Chakrabarti has utilized his personal fortune to fuel a massive advertising blitz centered on a platform of refreshing the Democratic Party’s leadership. The polling, conducted between April 3 and April 8, utilized online forms and text messages to reach 537 likely voters, carrying a margin of error of four percent.

Wiener maintains a formidable 47-to-26 percent advantage among registered Democrats, but Chakrabarti surged ahead in the net favorability rating.

This positive momentum comes as Chakrabarti, a former Bernie Sanders staffer and Justice Democrats co-founder, has self-funded nearly $1.5 million of his $1.77 million campaign purse to bridge the gap with his more established rivals.