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A STUDENT’S VIEW - When I checked the election results, I expected to see winners and losers.
Instead, I saw a city sending a distress signal.
Los Angeles is one of the most influential cities in America. It is home to world-class universities, global industries, vibrant neighborhoods, and millions of people chasing opportunity. Yet the message voters delivered this week was not one of confidence. It was one of frustration.
A reality television celebrity nearly captured a place in the runoff for mayor of America's second-largest city. An incumbent mayor finished first but without a commanding mandate. A progressive challenger surged late as thousands of voters searched for a different direction.
This was not a normal election.
It was a warning.
As a young Jewish student, I have spent the past several years watching faith in institutions steadily erode. I have watched political divisions grow deeper. I have watched public frustration become anger. And I have watched many people my age lose confidence that government is capable of solving even the most basic problems.
The election results did not create those feelings.
They exposed them.
For many young people, the Los Angeles we were promised feels increasingly out of reach.
We were told that hard work would lead to opportunity. Yet many students wonder whether they will ever be able to afford a home in the city where they grew up.
We were told that government exists to solve problems. Yet homelessness remains visible across Los Angeles, public infrastructure continues to deteriorate, and residents increasingly question whether City Hall understands the urgency of the challenges facing everyday families.
We were told that civic engagement matters. Yet many young voters feel their concerns are acknowledged during campaigns and forgotten once the votes are counted.
That frustration has consequences.
People begin searching for alternatives.
Some voters chose stability and experience. Others chose a more progressive vision. Still others gravitated toward an outsider candidate because they no longer trust traditional political leaders to deliver meaningful change.
Those choices may be different, but the underlying message is remarkably similar:
Something is not working.
For Jewish students, this election carries an additional layer of significance.
Over the past several years, and especially since October 7, many Jewish students have experienced something we never expected to face in America: uncertainty about whether our concerns will be taken seriously.
We have seen antisemitic incidents rise. We have watched Jewish students shouted down, stereotyped, or excluded from conversations where diversity and inclusion are supposed to matter. We have learned that support for Jewish students is sometimes conditional in ways that support for other communities is not.
Many of us have felt forced to choose between speaking up and fitting in.
That reality has changed how many young Jews view politics.
We are no longer looking for leaders who simply acknowledge problems. We are looking for leaders willing to confront them.
We want leaders who will protect public safety.
We want leaders who will combat antisemitism with the same urgency applied to every other form of hate.
We want leaders who will focus less on political branding and more on measurable results.
Most of all, we want leaders who understand that trust, once lost, is incredibly difficult to rebuild.
The most important lesson from this election is not who finished first, second, or third.
The most important lesson is that a growing number of Angelenos are searching for answers because they believe the current system is failing to provide them.
That should concern everyone, regardless of ideology.
This election was not a victory lap for City Hall. It was a warning shot.
A warning that trust is eroding.
A warning that frustration is deepening.
A warning that voters—especially young voters—are running out of patience.
For many young Jewish voters, it was also a reminder that the future of Los Angeles cannot be taken for granted.
The city now faces a choice.
Its leaders can dismiss these results as temporary political turbulence.
Or they can recognize what many voters were trying to say.
A city that loses faith in its institutions eventually loses faith in itself.
Los Angeles still has extraordinary potential. But potential alone is not enough.
The next generation is watching.
The next generation is voting.
And the next generation is demanding something that should never be controversial:
A city that works.
Leaders who lead.
And a future worth believing in.
(Shoshannah Kalaydjian is a young Jewish student who writes about education, identity, and the challenges facing the next generation. Growing up in today’s climate, she has witnessed firsthand how rising antisemitism affects young people in classrooms and on college campuses. She is committed to sharing the perspectives of Jewish youth, amplifying student voices, and encouraging leaders to create safer, more inclusive environments for all students.)
