Democratic socialists secured major political victories in Los Angeles, with Nithya Raman winning the mayorship and other candidates claiming a US House seat and city council positions. A massive volunteer network propelled the progressive wing to success during a significant electoral shake-up.
Progressive Sweeps Across Los Angeles Offices
Voters backed numerous candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles chapter (DSA-LA), including Marissa Roy for city attorney and Angela Gonzales-Torres, who defeated incumbent Jimmy Gomez for a US House seat. Additional members won seats on school boards and the Burbank city council, creating the first socialist-majority city council on the west coast, as stated by DSA-LA.
The organization achieved its largest-ever slate of victories after volunteers knocked on more than 110,000 doors during the campaign season. Anna Gross, a DSA-LA steering member, noted in a statement that the results demonstrate how Angelenos want an alternative to politicians tied to corporate interests and billionaires.
Raman, who became the first democratic socialist on the Los Angeles city council in 2020, defeated incumbent Karen Bass to secure the mayorship. Her campaign benefited from extensive volunteer canvassing, alongside widespread voter frustration regarding the city’s direction and anger over Bass’s handling of the Palisades fire.
Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles initiative at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles, explained that without the Palisades fire in January of the previous year, neither Raman’s run nor Bass’s defeat would likely have occurred. He added that a significant majority of city residents feel the city is on the wrong track, with the fire serving as a focal point for public unhappiness.
Growth and Expanding Reach of DSA-LA
The election wins boosted the local chapter, which held over 6,000 members last month and added another 2,000 people over the election week alone. Yaroslavsky noted that the organization has developed sophisticated methods for targeting its human resources, deploying numerous campaign workers and precinct walkers since Raman’s initial 2020 council victory.
In a September interview with World News | The Guardian, DSA member Patrick Padilla stated that the organization’s platform on affordable housing, tenant rights, immigrant rights, Medicare for All, and the Green New Deal holds broad appeal for working Americans focused on daily survival.
Several endorsed candidates won by wide margins, such as Roy capturing 67.39% of the vote in the city attorney race and Gonzalez-Torres securing 60.6% against Gomez. Roy pledged to transform the city attorney’s office into a major public interest law office, while Gonzalez-Torres ran on a platform critical of US financial and political support for the Israeli military in Gaza.
The chapter’s endorsement of Raman involved internal debate and prior tension, including a 2024 censure over a group endorsement and national leaders considering rescinding support before a vote failed. Despite these hurdles, the chapter celebrated her victory on social media by proclaiming her as their mayor.
Looking ahead, Raman will need to establish trust among communities that supported other candidates or did not vote, a challenge acknowledged by both Yaroslavsky and the mayor-elect. Raman stated that she enters city hall committed to working daily to earn public trust and deliver on affordable housing, parks, transit, safety, and government promises.
