Record number of democratic socialists take office as mayors
Incoming officials in Los Angeles, Washington, and other major cities promise to focus on housing and basic services after a wave of progressive victories.
By Nathaniel Hayes ·
A record number of Democratic Socialists of America members will serve as mayors of major American cities starting in January. Nithya Raman and Janeese Lewis George were elected to lead Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., respectively. David Morales and Yousef Rabhi won the mayoral races in Providence, Rhode Island, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. They join Zohran Mamdani, who leads New York City, and officials in Burlington, Vermont, and Irvine, California.
The surge in socialist leadership followed a wave of progressive victories across the country. Mamdani, a longtime DSA member, was initially viewed as a long-shot candidate. His rise to office is credited by many in the movement with inspiring similar wins up and down the ballot. By January, the number of DSA members in Congress will quadruple to eight. More than 100 DSA-endorsed candidates will hold local, state, and national positions.
Unlike legislators, mayors have direct control over daily municipal operations. Their responsibilities range from garbage collection to declaring snow days. This authority gives them a direct opportunity to test if their political ideals can improve daily life. Eric Blanc, an assistant professor of labor studies at Rutgers University and a DSA member, noted that the stakes are higher in the executive office because the public sees the results immediately.
The incoming mayors campaigned on practical affordability issues. Raman, an urban planner, promised more housing and better public transit. Lewis George focused her campaign on universal childcare and tenant protections. Morales called for affordable housing and greater corporate funding for education. Rabhi pledged to manage data center growth and keep utility bills low.
Mamdani has already implemented several key policies, including a rent freeze and efforts to tax the wealthy. His office reports that his administration has repaired more than 200,000 potholes since he took office. He told a gathering of international mayors at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this fall that smoothing daily life helps the public trust government.
Katie Wilson, the mayor of Seattle and a self-identified democratic socialist, agreed that mayors must balance big vision with basic maintenance. She described the job as requiring both high ambition and the practical work of keeping the lights on. Wilson advised the incoming officials to deliver on what is within their reach and to maintain close ties with the grassroots organizers who helped them win.
As these new officials take their posts, they face pressure to show tangible results. Wilson said that even when a mayor cannot solve every problem, they must show residents that they are fighting for them. The goal is to take real steps toward socialistic policies that improve the daily lives of city residents.
