Socialist Mayors Elected in Major U.S. Cities

On Tuesday, two socialist mayors were elected in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. This change means that four of the 20 largest cities in the United States now have socialist leaders.

Los Angeles Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), defeated incumbent mayor Karen Bass. Raman will begin her term for Los Angeles’ 4 million residents in December.

In Washington, D.C., DSA member Janeese Lewis George triumphed to become the city’s next mayor. Washington, D.C. has roughly 700,000 residents.

The list of socialist mayors in the nation’s most populous cities increases to four. George and Raman join Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in leadership roles.

Yemisi Egbewole, a former Biden White House aide, suggested that despite these wins, the Democratic Socialists of America might struggle to gain broader national influence by the 2028 presidential election.

Collectively, the four cities governed by socialist mayors are home to about 14 million people. This figure does not account for surrounding suburbs that could be influenced by city policies, affecting crime, real estate values, and the business environment. Residents working in major cities may feel these effects directly.

The total metro population of these areas, which might experience the impact of socialist policies, approaches 44 million people.

Socialist policies were also reflected in congressional elections, with voters electing seven DSA-backed or affiliated candidates to the House: Claire Valdez, Brand Lander, and Darializa Avila Chevalier from New York, Chris Rabb from Pennsylvania, Melat Kiros from Colorado, Donavan McKinney from Michigan, and Angela Gonzales-Torres from California.

A recent Fox News poll showed 32% of voters view socialism favorably, while 64% view it unfavorably. This favorable figure equals a previous high first reached five years ago. In a September Gallup poll, 43% of Americans had a positive image of socialism, marking the highest level since the poll began in 2010.

The same Fox News poll indicated that 51% of voters had a favorable view of capitalism, with 46% viewing it unfavorably.

Andrew Mark Miller can be contacted at [email protected] for more information.