Democratic Socialists Now Lead LA, NYC, DC, and Seattle
Intra-Party Split Detected
National DSA leadership narrowly voted 14-13 against rescinding Raman's endorsement after clashes over her stance on BDS/Israel, policing, and housing, with the LA chapter having previously censured her; Raman has also distanced herself from socialist branding, favoring 'sewer socialism' over ideological framing, creating tension with more doctrinaire DSA members.
Left says
- •These victories reflect genuine grassroots organizing, with volunteers knocking on over 110,000 doors in Los Angeles alone to build coalitions beyond traditional socialist activists.
- •Raman's win demonstrates that pragmatic, results-focused governance—what she calls 'sewer socialism' or 'pothole politics'—can win over voters frustrated by housing costs, homelessness, and establishment failures like Bass's handling of the Palisades Fire.
- •Voters across multiple major cities are rejecting politicians seen as beholden to billionaires and corporate interests in favor of leaders promising affordability and accountable government.
- •Democratic socialism is proving it can build broad coalitions, including gains among young voters and growing support among Latino voters, rather than remaining a niche ideological movement.
Right says
- •Four of America's twenty largest cities, representing roughly 44 million people in their metro areas, are now governed by mayors affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, raising concerns about the policies' effects on crime, real estate, and business climate.
- •Many of these newly elected officials, including Raman, lack prior executive experience, raising questions about their readiness to manage complex city governments facing crises like homelessness and housing shortages.
- •The ideological commitments of these officials, including DSA's internal disputes over Israel and policing, suggest governance could be driven by activist priorities rather than practical city management.
- •Celebrity and elite entertainment-industry endorsements for candidates like Raman reflect a disconnect between Hollywood elites and the everyday concerns of residents in cities already struggling with high costs and dysfunction.
Common Take
High Consensus- Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race by a margin of roughly 52% to 48%.
- Affordability, housing costs, and homelessness were central issues driving voter frustration in Los Angeles.
- Karen Bass's handling of the 2025 Palisades Fire damaged her standing with voters ahead of the election.
- Four of the twenty largest U.S. cities—Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., and Seattle—are now led by mayors affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
The Arguments
Left argues
Raman's victory demonstrates that pragmatic, results-focused 'sewer socialism'—fixing potholes and making government work—can build broad coalitions beyond ideological activists, including gains among young and Latino voters.
Right counters
A winning campaign message focused on competence doesn't guarantee competent governance; Raman has no executive experience, and the gap between 'pothole politics' rhetoric and actually running a city of 4 million facing homelessness and housing crises remains untested.
Right argues
Four DSA-affiliated mayors now govern cities with metro populations of roughly 44 million people, and their lack of executive experience combined with factional disputes over issues like Israel and policing raises legitimate concerns about whether activist priorities will override practical city management.
Left counters
Raman's own record shows independence from DSA orthodoxy—she clashed with the organization over Israel, policing, and housing, and DSA nearly rescinded her endorsement—suggesting she governs on pragmatic merits rather than strict ideological alignment.
Left argues
These wins reflect genuine grassroots organizing, with DSA-LA volunteers knocking on over 110,000 doors, showing voters are rejecting establishment politicians seen as beholden to billionaires in favor of candidates promising affordability and accountability.
Right counters
Grassroots door-knocking doesn't erase the fact that Hollywood elites and celebrities like Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling heavily backed Raman's campaign, suggesting the coalition includes the same kind of wealthy, disconnected elite backing these movements claim to oppose.
Right argues
Bass's defeat and the broader trend show real dissatisfaction with Democratic establishment governance, but swapping in untested democratic socialists with internal factional battles over ideology doesn't inherently solve the underlying crises of homelessness, housing costs, and crime these cities face.
Left counters
Voter frustration with Bass stemmed directly from establishment failures like the mishandled Palisades Fire response, meaning the shift to Raman is less an ideological gamble and more a rational rejection of demonstrated incompetence in favor of a fresh approach.
Left argues
The pattern across LA, NYC, DC, and Seattle shows democratic socialism moving from a niche ideological movement to a viable, broadly appealing governing coalition capable of winning in America's largest and most diverse cities.
Right counters
Four cities electing similar candidates in one cycle may reflect a temporary anti-incumbent 'blue wave' environment rather than durable ideological realignment, and the real test—whether these mayors can govern effectively without crime, business flight, or fiscal crises—has not yet occurred.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If 'sewer socialism' means prioritizing pragmatic governance over ideology, how do you reconcile that framing with Raman's formal DSA affiliation and the movement's broader push for DSA-aligned candidates across multiple cities as a unified ideological project?”
Left asks Right
“If the concern is that these mayors lack executive experience and may govern based on activist ideology rather than practical management, how do you distinguish that critique from ordinary skepticism applied to any first-time mayor, given that Bass herself was also relatively inexperienced in municipal executive governance before her term produced the failures voters just rejected?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
DSA national leadership and figures like Jacobin writers who view Raman's 'sewer socialism' pragmatism as an insufficient compromise represent perhaps 10-15% of the left, pushing for more ideologically pure socialist governance rather than coalition-building centrism.
Right Fringe
Commentators like Mike Gonzalez (Heritage Foundation) framing this as Marxist infiltration of American cities, and outlets like Blaze Media mocking these wins as cultural collapse ('Escape from LA'), represent a more alarmist 10-15% of the right that frames this in apocalyptic ideological terms rather than practical governance concerns.
Noise Assessment
Moderate-to-high noise ratio: cable news and social media amplify both the 'socialist takeover' narrative and the 'historic grassroots win' narrative far beyond what most Americans are actively tracking, as most voters outside these four cities have limited direct stake in local mayoral governance decisions.
Sources (6)
<p>Democratic socialist <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/04/la-nyc-south-asian-immigrant-socialist-mayors" target="_blank">Nithya Raman</a> toppled embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a stunning upset, putting South Asian immigrants on course to lead America's two largest cities.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> With New York's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/25/zohran-mamdani-nyc-democrat-mayor-nominee" target="_blank">Zohran Mamdani</a> already in office, Raman's win puts democratic socialists on track to run two of America's most powerful city halls — testing whether their promises on affordable housing and better government can survive the pressures of governing.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Raman's victory marks a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/04/la-nyc-south-asian-immigrant-socialist-mayors" target="_blank">historic shift</a> in urban American politics as voters embrace a new generation of immigrant leaders challenging the Democratic establishment.</p><ul><li>Raman, 45, immigrated from India as a child. Mamdani, New York's mayor, also has South Asian roots and immigrated to the U.S.</li><li>Both built their political careers around affordability and inequality, giving democratic socialism a powerful foothold in America's largest cities.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-mayor-nithya-raman-a86250b9e833ea907a88623e9c1caaab" target="_blank">Associated Press called the race</a> for Raman Thursday, making Bass the first Los Angeles mayor in two decades to lose reelection.</p><ul><li>Raman led Bass 52.1% to 47.9% in <a href="https://laopinion.com/2026/11/05/nithya-raman-derrota-a-karen-bass-y-gana-la-alcaldia-de-los-angeles/" target="_blank">unofficial results</a> released Thursday. Ballot counting continues.</li><li>Bass, who won in 2022, conceded and pledged a smooth transition. Raman takes office Dec. 14.</li><li>Raman defeated a political heavyweight backed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and much of the City Council.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Raman capitalized on growing frustration over homelessness, housing costs and Bass' handling of the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire.</p><ul><li>A September <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/04/la-nyc-south-asian-immigrant-socialist-mayors" target="_blank">Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll</a> showed Raman leading Bass 66%-4% among likely voters under 30 and 45%-21% among Latino likely voters.</li><li>Bass narrowed the gap. The final <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-28/bass-comes-from-behind-now-in-dead-heat-with-raman-in-mayors-race-new-poll-shows" target="_blank">Berkeley poll</a> showed the candidates tied at 40%, with 19% undecided. Among Latino likely voters, Raman's lead shrank to 43%-40%.</li><li>Raman launched her challenge in February after previously endorsing Bass, turning former allies into political rivals.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> Democratic socialism's reach now extends beyond New York and Los Angeles.</p><ul><li>Washington, D.C., voters also elected democratic socialist <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/11/04/janeese-lewis-george-dc-mayor-election" target="_blank">Janeese Lewis George</a> Tuesday, delivering another major victory for the movement.</li><li>The wins raise questions about the Democratic Party's future as younger progressives challenge established leaders.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> Raman has carved out an independent path that sometimes puts her at odds with fellow socialists.</p><ul><li>She has repeatedly <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/27/dsa-socialists-la-mayor-race-israel-raman-bass" target="_blank">clashed with the Democratic Socialists of America</a> over Israel, policing and housing.</li><li>National DSA leaders <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-11-02/dsa-narrowly-votes-against-rescinding-nithya-raman-endorsement-in-la-mayors-race" target="_blank">voted 14-13</a> Monday against withdrawing her endorsement after a dispute over how the Los Angeles chapter vetted her stance on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel.</li><li>The group's Los Angeles chapter previously censured Raman for accepting an endorsement from Democrats for Israel-Los Angeles. She has stressed her political independence.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> Raman's winning pitch focused less on socialist ideology and more on making City Hall work.</p><ul><li>She told Axios and Noticias Telemundo at <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/04/la-nyc-south-asian-immigrant-socialist-mayors" target="_blank">Visionarios</a> that her approach amounts to "sewer socialism" or "pothole politics."</li><li>"I just want government to work for the people," Raman said.</li><li>That message could offer progressive candidates a model for building coalitions beyond traditional socialist activists.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> Winning City Hall may prove easier than running it. Raman faces a homelessness crisis, a housing shortage and the 2028 Olympics — with the nation watching whether democratic socialism can deliver on its promises.</p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/escape-from-la-think-hollywood-had-problems-before-meet-new-mayor-nithya-raman.jpg?id=68607604&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>Did somebody cast a “Reducio” spell?</p><p>The crowd of trans activists who showed up to protest the opening of London’s new “Harry Potter” flagship store on Wednesday was vanishingly small.</p><p class="pull-quote">President Donald Trump allowed not only for the midterm elections to proceed, but for his party to take a whupping as a result. Heck of a way to organize a fascist takeover.</p><p>Just 16 people.</p><p>The protesters were there to denounce “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who earned the enmity of the left in 2020 by saying she didn’t align with every element of the trans movement’s agenda.</p><p>She’s been under fire ever since and has even received death threats. But while her enemies are unusually loud, they didn’t make much of an impression on the crowds lining up to enter the store.</p><p><a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/global/harry-potter-store-opening-trans-rights-protesters-london-1236939173/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Variety has the sads</a> over that detail:</p><blockquote>The queue — which wrapped around a nearby alleyway — slowly filed into the store, mostly ignoring the protest.</blockquote><p>Someone should have whipped out the Palestinian flag. That would have drawn a crowd in London …</p><h2>‘Sleepy’ Sidney</h2><p><span></span>Here comes <a href="https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/11/5/nicholas-galitzine-is-ichabod-crane-in-sydney-sweeneys-erotic-sleepy-hollow-reimagining" target="_blank">another “reimagining”</a> or, in unofficial Hollywood-speak, a new way to wring blood out of an old IP.</p><p>Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a retelling of the “Sleepy Hollow” yarn. This time, the story will be told through her character’s lens — she plays Katrina Van Tassel. Now, it’s just called “Hollow.” The film is based on an upcoming feminist novel, and the director is the book’s author — Lindsey Anderson Beer.</p><p>Let’s hope Sweeney doesn’t bare any skin during the promotional push for the film …</p><h2>NBC fetches ‘Files’</h2><p>Who you gonna call? Ghostbu — Jim Rockford!</p><p>There’s a new <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/11/the-rockford-files-david-boreanaz-premiere-date-nbc-nfl-1237213713/" target="_blank">“Rockford Files” coming our way Jan. 2</a>, as if the previous item wasn’t enough of a warning about Hollywood’s IP addiction. The ’70s detective saga was a keeper, and it boasted one of the best TV theme songs ever (with apologies to “Barney Miller”).</p><p>The magic, of course, came from star James Garner. His rugged presence and everyman appeal made the show special. Huge shoes to fill, and it’s up to David Boreanaz to do the honors.</p><p>One factor in the “Angel” alum’s favor? He has the <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/02/david-boreanaz-james-garner-daughter-blessing-rockford-files-1236718185/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blessing of Gigi Garner</a>, the late star’s daughter.</p><p>To hype the upcoming show, NBC shelled out big bucks for billboards asking us to call the fictional character. It’s (760) JIM-ROCK, for anyone with a fake case to solve …</p><h2>Fascism fail</h2><p>He’s still the worst dictator ever.</p><p>President Donald Trump allowed not only for the midterm elections to proceed, but for his party to take a whupping as a result. Heck of a way to organize a fascist takeover.</p><p>Nonetheless, the left is still using its pre-election talking points.</p><p>All together now ... he’s a dictator! That’s how “The Daily Show” guest Harvard Kennedy School Prof. Erica Chenoweth <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/alex-christy/2026/11/05/despite-dem-wins-daily-show-suggests-strikes-combat-dictator-trump" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">referred to Trump this week</a>. Imagine paying all that tuition money to expose your young adults to that warped thinking …</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/bass-ackward-los-angeles-may-dump-its-mayor-and-move-farther-left" target="_self"><strong>BASS-ACKWARD: Los Angeles may dump its mayor and move farther left</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="e0beb" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=68607766&width=980" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg/Getty Images</small></p><h2>Sly praise</h2><p>That’s a relief!</p><p>“I Play Rocky,” opening in select cities this weekend but nationwide Nov. 20, recalls how Sylvester Stallone battled the odds to star in “Rocky.” Stallone wrote the script, one that the studio in question loved. It wanted a “star” in the title role, though, not a nobody with a speech impediment.</p><p>Stallone refused to give up the script unless he got the lead role. “I play Rocky,” he says repeatedly in the new film. Get it?</p><p>But the real Stallone wasn’t necessarily eager to see his life on the big screen. He didn’t have a role in the film’s production, although he did give director Peter Farrelly his permission to go forward with the movie.</p><p>That said,<a href="https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/11/4/peter-farrelly-reveals-sylvester-stallone-has-seen-i-play-rocky-his-wife-cried-the-whole-time" target="_blank"> he has finally seen “I Play Rocky.”</a> He and wife Jennifer Flavin screened it at home.</p><p>And? They loved it. Flavin cried. It’s the best news possible for a film that’s generating a huge response from festival audiences.</p><p>Will it go the distance in the Oscar race? It’s got a puncher’s chance …</p><h2>Hollywood ending? </h2><p>“Say goodbye to Hollywood … say goodbye, my baby,” Billy Joel sang back in 1976. The tune comes to mind following the recent L.A. mayoral race. The city traded out its inept progressive Mayor Karen Bass for democratic socialist Nithya Raman.</p><p>She has no executive experience and bows to the altar of DSA Nation. That didn’t stop Hollywood stars like Tina Fey, Colin Jost, Mindy Kaling, and director Nicholas Stoller from supporting Raman’s campaign.</p><p>That means a town on the edge of collapse — Hollywood — just voted to get it gooder and harder.</p><p>Maybe the next rebooted IP should be “Escape from L.A.” It might end up as a documentary.</p>
Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have joined Seattle and New York City as top 20 U.S. cities led by DSA-affiliated socialist mayors in office.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire bars police from notifying ICE during nonviolent stops despite defeated Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's order.
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Houston has sparked protests after an ICE officer fatally shot a Mexican homebuilder this summer and another struck a man with a car.
<p>Democratic socialists won the mayorship, a US House seat and powerful positions in Los Angeles – and a large network of volunteers helped them do it</p><p>As a blue tsunami overtook US politics this week, Los Angeles saw a major shake-up of its own with a wave of democratic socialists elected to key offices.</p><p>Most notably, Nithya Raman, the first democratic socialist to serve on the Los Angeles city council, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/05/los-angeles-mayor-nithya-raman-karen-bass">prevailed</a> over incumbent Karen Bass to become the next mayor. Even in the deep blue city, Raman’s victory was hardly a given, and marked a stunning win for the progressive wing of the party. With her election, America’s two largest cities will now be run by<strong> </strong>democratic socialist mayors.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/07/los-angeles-mayor-nithya-raman-progressives-dsa">Continue reading...</a>