Democratic Socialists won mayoral elections in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. this week, bringing to four the number of major American cities led by Democratic Socialists, as President Donald Trump warned the outcome would be “a disaster.”
Nithya Raman was elected mayor of Los Angeles and Janeese Lewis George was elected to lead the District of Columbia in Tuesday’s elections, according to reports from The Center Square. Raman and Lewis George, both Democratic Socialists, will upon being sworn in join New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson at the helm of major metropolises.
More than 14 million people will live under the leadership of Democratic Socialist mayors in a handful of American cities, The Center Square reported. Critics have expressed concern about how the socialist agendas will affect the cities they lead.
President Trump was asked about the latest round of socialist candidates leading major cities. The president warned that “it’s going to be a disaster.” He added that the socialist policies “are very tough,” emphasizing, “they’re very tough on a city, a state or a country, that’s been proven over 1,000 years with different names.”
A lot of eyes will likely be on Los Angeles as the city is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, with thousands of people from around the world expected to descend on the city. Based on the president’s comments and enthusiasm for the U.S. hosting the Summer Olympics for the first time since 1996, he could clash with Raman in the lead-up to the events. During Raman’s 2020 city council run, she called for police to be defunded. She also has a long voting history of voting to ban homeless encampments near schools, libraries and other public spaces, though she appears to have changed course on some controversial policies, including bans on homeless encampments and funding law enforcement, since her time on the council and her mayoral bid.
Mayor-elect Lewis George is likely to clash with Trump if she follows through with some of her earlier statements regarding the district’s participation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, youth curfews and National Guard members patrolling the district. “Right now, using the curfew as a tool for our young people is dangerous. It is dangerous because we have federal troops who are in our city, masked ICE agents who are in our city, and these are the people enforcing this law and our young people, and these are not individuals who are trained in de-escalation, they are not accountable to D.C. residents,” Lewis George said during a mayoral debate. The president has taken pride in his federal takeover of the district in August 2025, touting lower crime, the removal of homeless encampments, and the cleanup of the city. Trump has committed to keeping the National Guard deployed through the rest of his term.
While the president shared concern for his longtime home, New York City, Trump has met with Mamdani on different occasions, including inviting him to the Oval Office after his election. “I deal with a very nice gentleman,” referring to Mamdani, “I get along with him,” the president told reporters. “We’ll see how that works out. I’d like to make sure New York does well. But it’s tough.”
A plurality of Americans do not want to see their community move in the direction of the Democratic Socialist agenda, according to a recent poll from The Center Square. Forty-four percent of American voters surveyed in The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll say they would prefer to live in a city or community where Democratic Socialists have not gained influence. Despite a plurality of Americans rejecting socialism, the cost of living appears to be the major factor behind the rise of the political ideology. The same poll found 29% of Americans say the cost of living is the leading reason for the rise in popularity of some Democratic Socialist candidates in some cities and elections, followed by 15% who are frustrated with traditional Democratic politicians. Thirteen percent of voters say it is because of younger Americans, and 12% say social media and online political organizing play a role.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Democratic Socialists now lead cities home to more than 14 million people, potentially shifting policy on policing, homelessness, and immigration enforcement in major urban centers.
- Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics puts national and international attention on how the new mayor's agenda interacts with federal priorities.
- The elections signal a realignment within the Democratic Party as cost-of-living pressures push voters toward candidates challenging traditional Democratic politicians.
Background
Democratic Socialists of America have fielded candidates in local elections across the U.S. for several years. In 2025, President Trump ordered a federal takeover of Washington, D.C., deploying the National Guard and touting reduced crime and homelessness there. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, elected in 2025, has met with Trump in the Oval Office. The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll found 44% of Americans prefer to live in communities where Democratic Socialists have not gained influence, while cost of living ranked as the top reason for the ideology's rise.
Key Perspectives
President Donald Trump: warned socialist mayors would be “a disaster” and that socialist policies “are very tough on a city, a state or a country, that’s been proven over 1,000 years with different names.” He said he gets along with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani but added, “it’s tough.”
Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George: said using the curfew as a tool for young people is “dangerous” because federal troops and ICE agents are enforcing it and are not trained in de-escalation or accountable to D.C. residents.
The Center Square poll respondents: 44% prefer to live in communities without Democratic Socialist influence; 29% cite cost of living as the leading reason for the rise of Democratic Socialist candidates, 15% cite frustration with traditional Democratic politicians, 13% cite younger Americans, and 12% cite social media and online organizing.
What to Watch
- Whether Raman and Lewis George follow through on their positions on police funding, homeless encampments, and immigration cooperation, and how that affects relations with the Trump administration.
- How President Trump responds to Los Angeles’s preparations for the 2028 Olympics under a socialist mayor.
- Whether the pattern of Democratic Socialist victories spreads to other cities in the 2027 and 2028 election cycles.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedDemocratic Socialists were elected mayor in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.The Center Square California: “Nithya Raman was elected mayor of Los Angeles and Janeese Lewis George was elected to lead Washington, D.C. in Tuesday’s elections, both mayor-elects are Democratic Socialists.”
- SupportedTrump warned that the result would be a “disaster.”The Center Square California: “The president warned that “it’s going to be a disaster.””
- SupportedRaman and Lewis George will join Mamdani and Wilson in leading major cities.The Center Square California: “Upon being sworn in, Raman and Lewis George will join New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson in leading major metropolises”
- Partly supportedThe elections happened “this week,” bringing the number of major American cities led by Democratic Socialists to four.The Center Square California: “Nithya Raman was elected mayor of Los Angeles and Janeese Lewis George was elected to lead Washington, D.C. in Tuesday’s elections”
- SupportedMore than 14 million people will live under Democratic Socialist mayors in a handful of American cities.The Center Square California: “More than 14 million people will live under the leadership of Democratic Socialist mayors in a handful of American cities.”
- SupportedTrump said the socialist policies “are very tough” and that they are tough on a city, state or country, as proven over 1,000 years.The Center Square California: “He added that the socialist policies “are very tough,” emphasizing, “they’re very tough on a city, a state or a country, that’s been proven over 1,000 years with different names.””
- SupportedLewis George said at a mayoral debate that using a curfew for young people was dangerous because federal troops and masked ICE agents were in the city and enforcing the law.The Center Square California: “"Right now, using the curfew as a tool for our young people is dangerous. It is dangerous because we have federal troops who are in our city, masked ICE agents who are in our city, and these are the people enforcing this law”
- SupportedTrump said of Mamdani, “I deal with a very nice gentleman,” and “I get along with him.”The Center Square California: ““I deal with a very nice gentleman,” referring to Mamdani, “I get along with him,” the president told reporters.”
- SupportedDuring Raman’s 2020 city council run, she called for police to be defunded.The Center Square California: “during Raman’s 2020 city council run, she called for the police to be defunded.”
- Partly supportedRaman has a long voting history of voting to ban homeless encampments near schools, libraries and other public spaces.The Center Square California: “She also has a long voting history of voting to ban homeless encampments, particularly near schools, libraries and other public spaces.”
- Partly supportedA plurality of Americans reject socialism, according to the poll.The Center Square California: “Forty-four percent of American voters surveyed in The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll say they would prefer to live in a city or community where Democratic Socialists have not gained influence.”
- SupportedThe poll found that 29% of Americans said cost of living was the leading reason for some Democratic Socialist candidates’ rising popularity.The Center Square California: “29% of Americans say the cost of living is the leading reason for the rise in popularity of some Democratic Socialist candidates in some cities and elections”