Socialist candidates captured the mayor's offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, bringing to four the number of the nation's 20 most populous cities now led by self-identified socialists.
In Los Angeles, City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, unseated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. Raman is set to be sworn in during December as the leader of a city of roughly 4 million people.
Washington, D.C., home to about 700,000 residents, also elected a DSA member as mayor. Janeese Lewis George won comfortably on Tuesday and now holds the title of mayor-elect.
George and Raman join two other socialist mayors already in office in major cities: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Together, the four cities count roughly 14 million residents within their limits. The combined metropolitan areas of those cities hold about 44 million people, meaning the policies advanced by the four mayors could touch far more Americans, for better or worse, through effects on crime, real estate values and the broader business climate. City problems can spill into surrounding communities, and suburban residents who commute into the cities may feel the impact directly.
The results drew sharp reaction from conservatives. Heritage Foundation fellow Mike Gonzalez wrote on X Thursday: "This makes LA the fourth large city that will now have a socialist mayor, joining New York, Washington DC and Seattle." He added, "Chicago's mayor is a buffoon, but he doesn't identify as DSA. America used to be an impregnable fortress against Marxism, then Marxists took over universities."
The socialist gains extended beyond city halls. Seven DSA-backed or affiliated candidates won seats in the House on Tuesday: Claire Valdez, Brand Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier of New York, Chris Rabb of Pennsylvania, Melat Kiros of Colorado, Donavan McKinney of Michigan and Angela Gonzales-Torres of California. Several other candidates associated with socialist policies also entered Congress or won re-election.
Polling suggests the victories arrive amid shifting public attitudes. A recent Fox News national poll found 32% of voters view socialism favorably, while 64% view it unfavorably. The favorable share matches an all-time high first recorded five years ago, since the network began asking the question in 2019.
A September Gallup poll painted a similar picture, finding 43% of Americans hold a positive image of socialism, the highest level Gallup has measured since it began tracking the question in 2010.
The Fox News survey also found 51% of voters hold a favorable view of capitalism, compared with 32% for socialism, while 46% view capitalism unfavorably.
