Socialist Civil War Engulfs Los Angeles Mayor Race
28th October 2026
Axios, a Voice of the Crust.
A fight over Israel is fracturing the socialist movement just as it stands within reach of capturing the Los Angeles mayor’s office.
Why it matters: The same socialist movement celebrating its ascendancy through New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is now debating whether to disown Nithya Raman before Los Angeles voters can even weigh in.
By the numbers: Raman leads incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in recent polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, though many voters remain undecided.
State of play: On Oct. 4, DSA’s National Political Committee found that the chapter violated endorsement rules by failing to ask Raman about BDS, but stopped short of invalidating its support.
Sticking point: The Democratic Socialists of America’s published endorsement requirements say candidates must actively support BDS and avoid affiliations with the Israeli government or “Zionist lobbying groups.”
Most of this is behind a paywall, but if you use the Safari browser you can reach it by using the Reader feature.