Nithya Raman leads progressive wave to victory in Los Angeles
Democratic socialists secured major gains in Los Angeles, with Nithya Raman defeating incumbent Karen Bass to become the city's next mayor.
By Olga Menon ·
Los Angeles experienced a significant political shift this week as a wave of democratic socialists captured key municipal and federal offices. In the most high-profile result, Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass to become the next mayor of the city. Raman, who previously served on the Los Angeles city council, is the first democratic socialist to hold that position. Her victory ensures that the two largest cities in the United States will now be led by mayors who identify as democratic socialists.
The success of the Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles chapter extended well beyond the mayoral race. Voters supported numerous candidates endorsed by the organization, including Marissa Roy for city attorney and Angela Gonzales-Torres for a US House seat. Gonzales-Torres unseated the incumbent, Jimmy Gomez, in a decisive victory. Additional wins were recorded on local school boards and the Burbank city council, giving Burbank the first socialist-majority council on the West Coast, according to the chapter.
The organization attributed its record-breaking slate of victories to a massive grassroots effort. Volunteers knocked on more than 110,000 doors during the campaign season. Anna Gross, a steering member of the Los Angeles chapter, stated that the results demonstrate that residents are seeking an alternative to politicians influenced by corporate interests. She expressed confidence that the new representatives would demonstrate what democratic socialist leadership can deliver across the county.
Raman’s campaign benefited from the broad network of volunteers provided by the organization, but also from widespread dissatisfaction with the incumbent administration. Polling indicated that many residents felt the city was moving in the wrong direction. Zev Yaroslavsky, a political analyst at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA, noted that the Palisades fire in January of the previous year was a pivotal moment. He argued that without the fire, Raman might not have run, and Bass might have retained her seat. The fire became a symbol of the frustrations felt by a significant majority of the population.
The chapter’s membership has grown substantially in recent years. As of last month, the organization counted more than 6,000 members, with an additional 2,000 joining in the week following the election. Raman joined the group in 2019 and won her initial council seat in 2020, defeating an incumbent backed by prominent national Democrats. Since then, three other candidates from the organization have been elected to the 14-member city council, expanding the group’s influence in local politics.
In the city attorney race, Marissa Roy won with 67.39 percent of the vote. She has pledged to transform the office into the largest public interest law firm in the city, focusing on working people, immigrants, and renters. In the congressional race, Gonzales-Torres defeated Gomez with 60.6 percent of the vote. Gomez, who served in Congress for nearly a decade, had received support from Aipac, which spent 2.7 million dollars on his campaign. Gonzales-Torres distinguished herself by describing the war in Gaza as a genocide enabled by US financial and political support.
The endorsement of Raman by the chapter was not without internal debate. Raman entered the race late, after some affiliated colleagues had already supported Bass. The chapter had previously censured Raman in 2024 for seeking an endorsement from a Democrats for Israel group. National leaders considered rescinding support until Raman clarified her stance on the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, but a vote to do so ultimately failed. The chapter publicly celebrated her win on social media.
Despite the victory, Raman faces the task of building trust with voters who supported her opponent or abstained. She acknowledged this challenge in a statement, promising to work daily to earn the city's trust. She outlined a vision for affordable housing, accessible parks, and a reliable transit system, aiming to create a government that can effectively deliver on its promises to working families.
