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DEEGAN ON LA—New York City is on the verge of electing a Socialist as Mayor—could Los Angeles be next?
Underneath the beat of its surf and sunshine veneer, LA throbs with severe problems thanks to politicos that have not read the room right for several years.
We have all the ingredients that make political NYC a possible template for political LA and more so. Contemporary LA has become a petri dish of politics; everything mixes; abetted by the great Southern California belief that reinvention is the name of the game here.
Bob Dylan said “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”, while Nike demands “Just do it!” Is it time for voters to look at socialism as an alternative route to fixing a broken Los Angeles?
Like the sun peeking through the marine layer we are seeing the flickering problems lit up one by one: crime and public safety, homelessness, corruption, a city budget out of control, a lack of affordable housing, social justice seen as class warfare not an inalienable right.
There will be upcoming spotlights on the city thanks to World Cup Soccer in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027, and what should be a shiny trophy but an event that is already fiscally tarnished the 2028 Summer Olympics.
A colder spotlight focuses on the centrist mayor and city council members. Four of them (a solid 26%) lean far enough left to assure Socialism may not be too far away. In fact, within the couple of city council election cycles the “progressives” may be able to shed that term and identify as “socialists”. The next decade could begin with a completely reinvented political LA.
With a City Charter that privileges power to the fifteen city council members over the mayor the question of who will be the next mayor is minimal. S/he is a placeholder politico. It’s the seats around the horseshoe in City Hall’s Ferraro Council Chamber that hold the power. And, one by one they are being occupied by what may become the new political ruling class of LA in the 2030’s.
By then, the Zohran Mamdani experiment will-if he’s elected-have given our local politicos a sense of what works and what doesn’t so they can blend NYC with LA in their vision.
Hollywood loves a sequel so its helpful to wind the calendar back to the Progressive Era in California, circa 1895-1920, that was a reaction to the Gilded Age of the late 19th century that apexed around 1890. Progressives saw that rapid growth led to economic expansion but also materialism and political corruption. The widespread economic expansion also led to materialistic excess enjoyed by the era’s 1%-ers.
Hiram Johnson ran on the Progressive ticket of what was colloquially known as the Bull Moose Party; so named by its chairman Teddy Roosevelt who said he felt as strong as a bull moose after an assassination attempt.
Johnson was Governor of California from 1911-17. He was known for his progressive politics that included standing up to the corruption and control by the Union Pacific Railroad, often called the fourth branch of California government, and his work to increase direct voting by individuals, the election of senators by the public not the state legislature, and the referendum process to strengthen voter’s hands in democracy. He also helped create the recall process as a safety valve when an officeholder lost public trust during their term.
Zohran Mamdani, a three-term politico representing a section of the NYC borough of Queens in the State Assembly, offers more than reformer Johnson. His mayoral platform includes this program:
- Immediately freezing rents in rent controlled housing.
- Constructing 200,000 new affordable housing units over ten years.
- Fare-free and faster buses.
- Increased investment in mental health programs and crisis response.
- Creating city-owned grocery stores that will pay no rent or property taxes, and buy and sell at wholesale prices.
- Providing free childcare for every New Yorker aged 6 weeks to 5 years.
- Raising NYC's minimum wage to $30 by 2030.
- Putting a 2% tax on residents earning above $1 million annually.
- Raising the corporate tax rate, currently around 7%, to 11.5%.
Some of his agenda fits perfectly with what LA needs; his success at the November 4 election and, if he wins, the rollout of his plans may have deep resonance in Los Angeles. In six weeks we will know lots more.
(Tim Deegan is a longtime civic activist and columnist whose Deegan on LA feature has been a staple of CityWatchLA for over a decade. With a focus on Los Angeles city politics and neighborhood issues, Deegan brings thoughtful analysis and grassroots perspective to every column. His work highlights the voices of local communities and the impact of City Hall decisions on everyday Angelenos. He can be reached at [email protected].)
