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The Pressure on LA’s First Socialist Mayor
Nithya Raman has declared victory over incumbent Karen Bass, making her Los Angeles’s first democratic socialist mayor on paper. Her campaign focused on practical city problems rather than ambitious socialist pledges, leaving questions about how she will govern and whether the progressive left will see her as accountable to its movement.
Raman had the endorsement of the Los Angeles Democratic Socialists of America chapter, but the national organisation considered intervening over her views on Israel and Palestine. She also gained backing from City Controller Kenneth Mejia and hospitality workers’ union Unite Here 11, while lacking support from many major labour and social justice groups. As mayor, she will face pressure over police spending, possible cooperation with ICE, Olympic-related surveillance, homelessness and failing infrastructure; police spending alone accounts for roughly a quarter of the city’s nearly $15 billion budget.
In short
- Raman defeated Karen Bass to become Los Angeles’s first socialist mayor.
- Her campaign centred on fixing everyday city problems.
- Progressives will scrutinise her record on policing, homelessness and infrastructure.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Raman’s practical campaign may give her room to tackle urgent problems through workable compromises, rather than letting ideological tests dictate policy. Supporters could argue that her DSA affiliation and backing from some local progressive and labour organisations provide a basis for pursuing reform, while governing responsibly requires weighing public safety, homelessness, infrastructure and the city’s budget together.
The case against
Progressive critics could argue that a democratic socialist mayor should use the office to deliver clear changes to policing, homelessness and social investment, and that prioritising pragmatism risks disappointing the people who organised behind her. They may also press her to take firmer positions on ICE cooperation, Olympic surveillance and Israel and Palestine, viewing those choices as tests of whether she remains accountable to movement values.