Taking inspiration from Mamdani, democratic socialists look to expand their power in L.A.

"The revelers who packed Tuesday's election night party in L.A.'s Highland Park neighborhood were roughly 2,500 miles from the concert hall where New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani celebrated his historic win. Yet despite that sprawling distance, the crowd, heavily populated with members of the L.A. chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, had no trouble finishing the applause lines delivered by Mamdani, himself a DSA member, during his victory speech. "New York!" Mamdani bellowed on the oversized television screens hung throughout the Greyhound Bar & Grill. "We're going to make buses fast and - " "Free!" the crowd inside the bar yelled back in response."

"In Los Angeles, activists with the Democratic Socialists of America have already fired up their campaigns for the June election, sending out canvassing teams and scheduling postcard-writing events for their chosen candidates. But they're also taking fresh inspiration from Mamdani's win, pointing to his inclusive, unapologetic campaign and his relentless focus on pocketbook issues, particularly among working-class voters. The message that propelled Mamdani to victory resonates just as much in L.A., said City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who won her seat in 2022 with logistical support from the DSA. "What New York City is saying is that the rent is too damn high, that affordability is a huge issue not just on housing, but when it comes to grocery shopping, when it comes to daycare," she said. "These are the things that we're also experiencing here in Los Angeles.""

Zohran Mamdani's New York mayoral victory energized Democratic Socialists in Los Angeles, prompting local activists to echo his populist, pocketbook-focused message. DSA-LA volunteers have mobilized for the June election with canvassing teams and postcard-writing events to support endorsed candidates. The organizing emphasizes rent, grocery costs, daycare, and other affordability concerns affecting working-class and renter communities. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez linked Los Angeles housing and cost-of-living pressures to the same issues that helped drive the New York victory. DSA-LA, a membership organization, has elected four endorsed council candidates since 2020, ousting incumbents in recent cycles through door-to-door outreach and turnout efforts.

Read at Los Angeles Times