Democratic Socialists of America Won't Endorse in L.A. Mayor's Race

The left-wing group cited concerns over the viability of the candidates and the potential impact on its other endorsed campaigns.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 10:00am

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The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA-LA) has decided not to endorse a candidate in the race for mayor of Los Angeles. After City Councilmember Nithya Raman decided to run against her former ally, Mayor Karen Bass, DSA-LA called a vote on whether to reopen the endorsement process, which it had closed without supporting a candidate. The group, which has about 5,000 members, ultimately fell short of the required two-thirds majority to reopen the process, with around 55% of the 488 members voting in favor.

Why it matters

DSA-LA is known for running strong ground game campaigns that include canvassing, door-knocking and phone banking. The group has already endorsed a slate of six local candidates for City Council and other offices, and some members believed that a mayoral endorsement would take resources away from those efforts.

The details

The two main mayoral candidates, Nithya Raman and Rae Huang, were present for the vote, though neither spoke. Raman has been at odds with DSA-LA on some issues, while Huang's positions align more closely with the group. However, Huang's earlier attempt to get the endorsement had failed because she did not obtain enough valid member signatures to qualify.

  • The vote took place on Saturday at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Koreatown.
  • The June 2 primary will be the next key date in the mayoral race.

The players

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA-LA)

A left-wing political organization with about 5,000 members in Los Angeles that is known for running strong ground game campaigns.

Nithya Raman

A City Councilmember who decided to run for mayor against her former ally, Mayor Karen Bass.

Rae Huang

A community organizer whose positions align more closely with those of DSA-LA.

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What they’re saying

“The worst thing we can do right now for our movement is to say, 'Well, actually, we're not going to endorse Rae or Nithya. We're going to do a third thing, which is to issue no endorsement.' Who is the audience for this message?”

— Leslie Chang, Co-chair of DSA-LA

“I do want a democratic socialist mayor, but as it stands, we have one candidate who is not going to win ... and a candidate who will not openly identify as a democratic socialist.”

— Anna Gross, DSA-LA member

What’s next

If the race is not decided in the June 2 primary, DSA-LA can still endorse a candidate in the runoff.

The takeaway

The decision by DSA-LA not to endorse a candidate in the L.A. mayoral race highlights the group's focus on its other local campaigns and the challenges it faces in finding an ideal candidate who aligns with its democratic socialist principles.