Los Angeles Democratic Socialists of America

Los Angeles city council

In the 2020 Los Angeles elections, DSA-LA endorsed urban planner Nithya Raman against incumbent council member David Ryu.^[23][24] Raman joined DSA shortly before seeking DSA-LA's endorsement.^[6] Raman received extensive DSA support,^[25] and had a "volunteer army" of 600 DSA & other progressive canvassers who knocked 83,000 doors.^[26][27] The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) strongly opposed Raman and spent over $200,000 in support of Ryu.^[28][29] Raman won their top-two runoff election with 70,317 votes (52.9%). Raman was the first challenger to unseat a sitting Los Angeles City Council member in 17 years,^[2][30] and won the most votes of any city councilor in history,^[2] representing a progressive challenge to City Hall.^[30]

In 2022, DSA-LA endorsed labor organizer Hugo Soto-Martinez in Council District 13, against incumbent Mitch O'Farrell, and abolitionist organizer and La Defensa co-founder Eunisses Hernandez in Council District 1, against incumbent Gil Cedillo.^{[31][24][32][33]} Hernandez and Soto-Martinez were DSA members for a long time before endorsement, though only Soto-Martinez has been described as a "cadre" (highly involved) member.^[6] Soto-Martinez linked his campaign to both DSA-LA and UNITE HERE Local 11, where he had organized for fifteen years.^[34][35] DSA-LA members had knocked on some 35,000 doors for Soto-Martinez,^[34][22] and his electoral coalition represented democratic socialists, progressives, and organized labor.^[34][10] Soto-Martinez and Hernandez both supported shifting funding from police to housing, child care and other social services. Soto-Martinez marked himself as an "abolitionist" on DSA-LA's candidate questionnaire.^[36] Police unions, including the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) and LAPPL, sharply criticized Hernandez and Soto-Martinez, and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to oppose their election.^[37][38] Both DSA candidates won their top-two runoff elections: Soto-Martinez won 37,800 votes (57.7%), Hernandez won 16,108 votes (53.89%).^[2][19]

In 2024, DSA-LA re-endorsed Raman and endorsed tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado in Council District 14 against incumbent Kevin de León.^{[39][40][41][3]} Jurado formally joined DSA soon before endorsement, but had organized with DSA's "Power Mass Transit" campaign for two years before.^[42][6] de León's election mailers called Jurado "a DSA puppet".^[6] DSA-LA volunteers door-knocked extensively for Jurado.^[43] In January, centrist LA megadonors formed Thrive LA PAC, which announced a seven-figure campaign to unseat Raman.^[44] de León and LAPPL attacked Jurado over support for police abolition and shifting city spending from LAPD to social services.^[45][46] During the campaign, DSA-LA censured Raman for accepting an endorsement from Democrats for Israel Los Angeles. DSA-LA maintained its endorsement of her reelection campaign.^[47][48] Raman won re-election in the nonpartisan primary with 32,562 votes (50.7%). Jurado won the top-two runoff with 46,007 votes (57.17%).^[49][50]

In the 2026 elections, DSA-LA ran a municipal slate under the "Shake Up LA" banner.^[51] In February, Raman launched a surprise mayoral campaign against incumbent Karen Bass.^[52][53][54] After considering whether to endorse Raman or fellow DSA member Rae Huang, DSA-LA voted not to endorse in the mayoral race.^[48][55] However, DSA-LA recommended voting for Nithya Raman in their primary voter guide.^[56] In the mayoral campaign, the Los Angeles Police Protective League spent heavily against Raman.^[57] Pro-Israel political groups strongly opposed Raman's campaign, which they saw as anti-Israel.^[58] In an interview with Hasan Piker, Raman said that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.^[59]

Nearby municipalities

In 2020, DSA-LA endorsed Konstantine Anthony for the Burbank City Council.^[60] In the election for two seats, Anthony won, placing 1st with 17,529 votes (20.4%).^[61] In 2024, DSA-LA re-endorsed Anthony and endorsed challenger Mike Van Gorder.^{[62][63][64][65]} In the election for two seats, Anthony won, placing 1st with 18,694 votes (23.4%), and Van Gorder lost, placing 4th with 8,843 votes (11.1%).^[66]

In 2022, DSA-LA endorsed Ricardo Martinez for La Puente City Council.^[67][31] Martinez ran a progressive campaign focused on workers' rights.^[68] Martinez lost, placing third in a two-seat election with 1,853 votes, behind incumbents Valerie Muñoz and Charlie Klinakis.^[69]

Other elected offices

In the 2020 California State Assembly election for AD-64, DSA-LA endorsed Fatima Iqbal-Zubair against incumbent Mike Gipson.^[42][70] Both Iqbal-Zubair and Gipson ran as Democrats. Iqbal-Zubair lost the general election with 56,875 votes (40.5%).^[71] In 2022, DSA-LA again endorsed Iqbal-Zubair,^[42] who lost again with 26,719 votes (38.3%).^[72]

In the 2021 special election for SD-30, DSA-LA endorsed Culver City mayor Daniel Lee against Sydney Kamlager,^{[42][73][74][75]} citing his support for California-wide Medicare For All.^[76] Both Lee and Kamlager ran as Democrats. Lee lost the top-two partisan primary, coming second with 9,458 votes (13.4%).^[77]

Ballot measures

In 2017, DSA-LA canvassed in support of Los Angeles County Measure H, a sales-tax measure to fund homeless services, and in opposition to Los Angeles Measure S, an anti-development ballot initiative backed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.^[78][79]

In 2020, Proposition 15, which would have partially reversed 1978 Prop 13 and raised property taxes on large commercial properties to fund public schools and community colleges, was endorsed by many DSA chapters.^[80] Endorsing chapters included DSA-LA,^[81] East Bay DSA, Inland Empire DSA, and San Francisco DSA.^[82][83][84] Prop 15 failed with 8,213,054 votes (48.0%).^[71] The cross-chapter effort to pass Prop 15 yielded a statewide DSA organization, California DSA.^[85]

In 2022, DSA-LA endorsed and canvassed for Measure ULA,^[31][86][87] a "mansion tax" that funded affordable housing and tenant assistance. Measure ULA won with 512,808 votes (57.8%).

Healthcare

In February 2025, DSA-LA helped organize protests outside Children's Hospital Los Angeles after the hospital paused gender-affirming care for most patients under 19.^[88]

Housing

In 2018, DSA-LA organized alongside Burlington Arcade tenants and brought their protest to the home of City Council member Mitch O'Farrell.^[89]

In 2022, Street Watch L.A. (SWLA), an anti-gentrification group founded by DSA-LA and the Los Angeles Community Action Network,^[90] organized protests against the opening of the high-end Dunsmoor restaurant in Glassell Park.^[91]

In 2025, with inspiration from Zohran Mamdani, DSA-LA pushed for new limits on rent increases and other reforms in the city's rent-stabilized apartments.^[3][92]

Immigration

In March 2017, DSA-LA members protested outside Mayor Eric Garcetti's reelection-night event, demanding that Los Angeles take a harder line against deportation and adopt a stronger sanctuary-city stance.^[78][93]

In April 2026, DSA-LA hosted an panel titled "ICE Out of Our Cities" with DSA elected officials, who spoke about how to prevent Trump's "white nationalist, patriarchal, MAGA, fascist project" and oppose ICE deportations.^[94][95]

Labor

In 1989, DSA-LA members supported striking Catholic cemetery workers during a unionization drive,^[15] who later voted to unionize.^[96] In 1991, the workers voted 92-43 to disband the union.^[97]

In 2019, during the 2019 United Teachers Los Angeles strike, DSA-LA launched the Tacos for Teachers solidarity effort and mobilized hundreds of members onto picket lines.^{[98][99][100][101]}

In 2023, during the UAW's "Stand Up strike", DSA-LA members joined picket lines in Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario. DSA-LA members also gave tacos to strikers.^{[102][103][104]}

Since 2023, DSA-LA has supported organizing and strike activity among Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) baristas.^[105] In late 2025, Los Angeles baristas had joined SWBU's "Red Cup Rebellion" strike wave. Picket line baristas were being supported nationally by DSA chapters, including DSA-LA.^{[106][107][108]}

Palestine

In October 2023, as the War in Gaza began, DSA-LA declared its "solidarity with Palestine". This became a flashpoint in Los Angeles politics,^[109] with Raman's opponent Ethan Weaver calling on her to reject DSA-LA's endorsement.^[109] LA mayor Karen Bass described the statement as "antisemitic", "reprehensible, disgusting, and dangerous".^[110] In 2024, DSA-LA and its endorsees supported a municipal ceasefire resolution on the LA City Council,^[110] which was unsuccessful.^[111] DSA-LA has supported local pro-Palestinian protests. In March 2024, DSA-LA organizers rallied with IfNotNow Los Angeles and several unions to organize a "Not Another Bomb" rally on the steps of City Hall.^[112][113] In 2025, the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles argued that DSA-LA supported "hate and violence aimed at Jews", noting that DSA-LA had condemned Israel and opposed US weapon shipments to Israel.^[110]

Statewide

State legislature

Local executive

Local legislature

Other local seats