The Rise of Socialist Mayors: Lessons From New York to Los Angeles

Nithya Raman seeks to follow Zohran Mamdani’s New York experiment in Los Angeles

As Los Angeles prepares for a pivotal election, the city faces a potential ideological shift that mirrors recent developments in New York. Nithya Raman, an Indian-born urban planner and two-term City Council member, is challenging incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass to become the city’s first democratic socialist leader. According to Axios, Raman is attempting to unseat Bass, who made history as the first woman to serve as mayor of Los Angeles when she was elected in 2022.

The political momentum behind Raman is significant among specific demographics. Axios reported that a Berkeley poll showed Raman leading Bass 66% to 4% among likely voters under the age of 30. The gap is even wider among Latino voters, where Raman holds a 45% to 21% lead, though 34% of that group remains undecided. This surge follows a period of political transition in other major hubs, including New York, where Zohran Mamdani has already completed six months of his term as mayor.

The New York model of pragmatic socialism

In New York, Zohran Mamdani has attempted to redefine the term “democratic socialism” through what some observers call municipal competence. Six months into his administration, Mamdani has focused on tangible, everyday services rather than radical structural overhauls. He has successfully delivered free child care to 2-year-olds and implemented a rent freeze for 2 million New Yorkers in rent-stabilized apartments.

However, Mamdani’s tenure has not been without friction with higher levels of government. While he campaigned on a 2% income tax hike for those earning over $1 million and increased corporate tax rates, he had to set aside some of those tax proposals due to opposition from New York Governor Kathy Hochul. He has also faced legal challenges regarding a “pied-à-terre” tax on luxury second homes. Despite these hurdles, Mamdani’s favorability rating reached 69% in September, a figure that suggests his focus on “pothole politics” may be resonating with a public frustrated by failing basic services.

Raman’s vision for Los Angeles differs from the New York approach

While Raman shares an ideological label with Mamdani, her political path in Los Angeles appears more independent. Axios noted that Raman has frequently clashed with the local Democratic Socialists (DSA) chapter, earning a censure from the group after accepting an endorsement from a pro-Israel organization. She also diverged from the group’s preferences by backing Jim McDonnell for LAPD chief.

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Raman’s platform centers on the idea that government must work for ordinary people by delivering essential services. She has described her approach as “sewer socialism,” focusing on making City Hall more responsive to residents. This contrasts with the defense offered by Bass’s strategist, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who told Axios and Noticias Telemundo that the incumbent mayor has already accelerated the delivery of nearly 47,000 affordable housing units into the city’s pipeline.

Comparing the outcomes of socialist municipal leadership

The success of these leaders often depends on the political environment they inhabit. In Seattle, Mayor Katie Wilson has faced a different reality than Mamdani. While Wilson campaigned on building social housing and expanding transit, her administration has faced constraints from a more moderate City Council. A recent proposed budget from Wilson showed a shift toward fiscal conservatism, including $50 million in cuts and an increase in police funding, which led to criticism from her ideological supporters.

Metric/Policy	Zohran Mamdani (NYC)	Katie Wilson (Seattle)
Primary Focus	Child care & rent stabilization	Homelessness & transit
Taxation Stance	Pied-à-terre tax (under legal challenge)	Proposed no new taxes in recent budget
Council Relation	Supportive socialist base	Moderate-leaning City Council

The high stakes of urban housing and economic policy

For both Raman and Mamdani, housing remains the ultimate litmus test. In New York, Mamdani’s plan to establish city-owned grocery stores has already drawn lawsuits from local bodega owners. In Los Angeles, the debate centers on the balance between public housing and private development. Political scientists suggest that the tension between more radical DSA activists, who want more city-owned homes, and moderate Democrats, who favor cutting regulations for developers, will define the next era of local governance.

Nithya Raman ousts Karen Bass after tight Los Angeles mayoral race

Mayoral candidate Nithya Roman speaking on stage, hands gesturing. She wears a maroon striped sleeveless dress — Photo: axios.com

The economic implications are equally significant. While Mamdani has leveraged New York’s strong financial position to fund programs, experts warn that a recession could force difficult budget decisions. For Raman, the challenge will be proving that her vision of wealth redistribution and expanded public services can function within the complex economic ecosystem of Los Angeles without triggering massive capital flight or legal gridlock.

“Fundamentally, what I’m looking for from DSAers who are elected at the municipal level … is competence that yields more fairness, more distribution, more efficiency in the welfare state, but also delivers stability.”
— Bhaskar Sunkara, founding editor of Jacobin

As the election approaches, the question for Los Angeles is whether voters want a continuation of the current administration’s housing pipeline or a fundamental shift toward the “pothole politics” seen in New York.