change stalled – From Los Angeles’ mayoral runoff to California’s gubernatorial matchup, establishment Democrats held their ground on election night. But voters’ lukewarm support—and a sharply divided coalition on the left—left many progressive challengers facing the same unea
When Nithya Raman stepped up to a podium on the night of L.A.’s mayoral primary election. she spoke as if she could feel the momentum in the room. She thanked supporters for standing up to “powerful interests” who spent millions of dollars trying to “preserve this city’s broken and unjust status quo.”.
“At a time when so many people have written Los Angeles off or have lost hope in the future of this incredible city,” the democratic socialist L.A. mayoral hopeful said, “you are proof that Angelenos are hungry for change.”
But as results rolled in, the “change revolution” she promised didn’t land with the force her movement needed. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass was in the lead, advancing to the November runoff. That left Raman in a fight for a second spot with Republican former reality TV star Spencer Pratt.
Bass was among several high-profile establishment Democrats to emerge on top across California’s marquee races. In the state’s gubernatorial race. centrist Xavier Becerra—described as a veteran of the Biden Cabinet—advanced to the runoff after being challenged from the left by billionaire green activist Tom Steyer and by Democratic former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter. Steyer is now behind Steve Hilton, a Republican, and still battling to make the runoff.
For Democrats reeling from the rise of Donald Trump, the results in California have sharpened a question many party strategists are already debating: what direction comes next, and whether voters are willing to move farther left—or simply want competence from the people already in charge.
Sociology and political science professors watched the numbers with the same unease. “This was supposed to be a change revolution. but voters clearly said no to the revolution. ” said Sara Sadhwani. a politics professor at Pomona College. “Voters want change. ” she noted. “but it doesn’t appear right now that there has been an appetite for a major shift in the ideology of the city or the state.”.
California Democrats Karen Bass Nithya Raman Xavier Becerra Tom Steyer housing crisis homelessness Los Angeles mayoral runoff California gubernatorial runoff