After progressive candidates won big in U.S. House primaries in New York, Los Angeles voters are wondering if the city’s mayoral election will have a similar outcome in November. Mayor Karen Bass, who is seeking a second term, is being challenged by Democratic Socialist Nithya Raman.

Primary Election Results

Bass finished first in the primary election, receiving 15% more votes compared to Raman. However, she also became the first mayoral incumbent in decades who failed to win the primary outright.

According to Dr. Fernando Guerra, a political science professor at Loyola Marymount University, the trend of progressives or Democratic socialists winning primaries and general elections has been seen in blue states and liberal cities, such as New York City and Seattle.

Guerra stated, “What’s been very interesting is that some of these Democratic socialists are not only winning, but they are defeating incumbents.” He also noted that voters in blue states and red states are concerned about the establishment and are frustrated with the rising costs of living.

Campaign Strategy

Melanie Mason, POLITICO’s California bureau chief, said the primary election results from New York signal that voters want “new energy, new ideas” after being disappointed with the establishment’s leadership. Mason believes Raman will likely lean into the anti-establishment, change-agent messaging.

Raman’s recent denouncement of the “defund the police” policies has provoked the ire of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Bass’s campaign has announced a new campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who will take charge as Senior Strategist Doug Herman exits.

Chavez Rodriguez is a political strategist and organizer who has dedicated her career to advancing the rights of working people and building leadership and power with and among communities of color. She is also the granddaughter of César Chávez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union.

Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.