Los Angeles, the second-largest metro, could follow: Fellow DSA member Nithya Raman seems poised to become its next mayor.
uncertain
Raman → follow → ?
A new California Post poll shows her leading Mayor Karen Bass.
asserted
her → show → Bass
If Raman wins, DSA members will hold both mayors’ offices, forcing Democratic Party leaders to ask whether they still run their party, or whether they’re just chasing its socialist wing.
asserted
they → win → wing
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asserted
Sign → sign → California
Mamdani has charisma, social media savvy and a talent for political theater; Raman has considerably less star power.
asserted
Raman → have → power
What they share is more useful: Opponents that voters can’t stand.
asserted
voters → share → that
Raman led the race 46.7% to 38.8%, even though 41% identified Raman as the more extreme candidate, compared with 16.4% for Bass.
asserted
% → lead → Bass
I’ve spent nearly four decades in California politics; I can’t remember an incumbent this weak in LA.
asserted
I → spend → LA
Fed-up voters aren’t suddenly converting to socialism; they’re willing to gamble on someone further left because the people in charge have worn out their welcome.
asserted
people → feed → welcome
The DSA stands to benefit: its members are winning elections, taking office and — for once — holding the power to turn activist demands into government policy.
These aren’t ceremonial jobs: New York’s mayor oversees a budget of more than $100 billion, the nation’s largest police department and the city’s public schools.
asserted
mayor → stand → billion
The mayor of LA controls a budget of roughly $13 billion and appoints the commissions that run the LAPD, the port, the airport and the Department of Water and Power.
asserted
that → control → Water
That’s a lot of power to hand an organization with a written platform.
asserted
That → ’ → platform
Start with immigration: The DSA’s national program calls for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ending deportations and granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.
asserted
program → start → immigrants
On the domestic side, the agenda includes healthcare free at the point of service, free public college and cancellation of student debt.
asserted
agenda → include → debt
Then comes public ownership of major corporations and essential industries.
asserted
ownership → come → corporations
That’s not a bigger welfare state: The DSA wants to replace capitalism itself.
asserted
DSA → ’ → capitalism
Republicans didn’t invent that claim — the DSA printed it.
uncertain
DSA → invent → it
Raman doesn’t have to endorse every national DSA plank, but the LA chapter, which has endorsed her mayoral campaign, has its own radical demands, like ending ordinances making it illegal for homeless people to camp on the street.
asserted
people → have → street
For years, Democratic leaders have welcomed the socialist left’s volunteers, money and enthusiasm while keeping its more radical proposals at arm’s length.
asserted
leaders → welcome → length
That arrangement gets uncomfortable when the activists become mayors and start implementing policy.
asserted
activists → get → policy
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has already felt the squeeze.
asserted
Hochul → feel → squeeze
Her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, challenged her from the left with support from prominent DSA legislators.
asserted
governor → challenge → legislators
Hochul got Mamdani’s endorsement instead, and Delgado later dropped out after struggling to gain traction.
asserted
Delgado → get → traction
Now Hochul and Mamdani are campaigning together, even as she resists the higher taxes the DSA wants.
asserted
DSA → campaign → taxes
Mamdani needs Albany to advance his agenda; Hochul needs the party’s increasingly powerful left to help her win.
asserted
her → need → left
The suburbs are another story: A Data for Progress survey found Mamdani was viewed favorably by 61% of New York City respondents but only 43% in the suburbs.
asserted
Mamdani → find → suburbs
That’s an 18-point drop once you cross the city line.
asserted
you → ’ → line
Democrats running in competitive districts can’t afford to ignore that difference.
asserted
Democrats → run → difference
California Democrats know the math.
asserted
Democrats → know → math
Republicans have spent the past decade fighting over the move from Reagan conservatism to Donald Trump’s national populism.
asserted
Republicans → spend → populism
That fight has been loud, public and bruising.
asserted
fight → bruise → ?
Democrats’ version is just starting, and it may not stop at City Hall.
uncertain
it → start → Hall
Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent much of the past year cultivating a national profile and visiting early presidential primary states.
asserted
Newsom → spend → states
Yet another California Post-McLaughlin survey found New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a DSA member, drawing 18% support in a hypothetical 2028 Democratic presidential primary among California respondents.
asserted
Cortez → find → respondents
Pete Buttigieg received 17%.
asserted
Buttigieg → receive → %
Newsom only managed 14% — in his own state.
asserted
Newsom → manage → state
New Yorkers are already finding out what happens when the activists take power.
asserted
activists → find → power
Angelenos still have time to decide whether they want to find out as well.
asserted
they → have → time
Democrats in swing districts across both states will be living with that answer, and so will every Democrat who wants to run for president in 2028.
asserted
who → live → 2028
The socialists stopped asking permission.
asserted
socialists → stop → permission
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
