L.A.'s democratic socialists look to boost their clout in City Hall

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It’s the biggest slate of democratic socialists Los Angeles has ever seen.The L.A.

chapter of Democratic Socialists of America is looking to push City Hall further left by backing candidates for city attorney and four City Council seats in the June 2 primary.Their aim, DSA leaders say, is to see the adoption of progressive policies on homelessness, rent control and public safety — and to have a socialist city attorney to make those policies stick.“The vision is to really imagine and really try to think about the concrete steps, about making a city that works for working-class Angelenos,” said Sean Wakasa, a UC Riverside graduate student who is DSA’s local co-chair.Wakasa said the group sees the city attorney’s office as especially crucial.

It is endorsing DSA member Marissa Roy, a deputy state attorney general, against incumbent City Atty.Hydee Feldstein Soto.

“Part of the reason why we’re really excited about having a city attorney win and having a socialist as a city attorney is that we get to also enforce the existing progressive policy that we already have,” he said.Business group leaders and others say they are alarmed about the prospect of democratic socialists gaining more clout in City Hall.Four of the current 15 council members, including mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, were elected with DSA support.

City Controller Kenneth Mejia was also recommended, although not formally endorsed, by the group.“The city’s not a better place to live than it was before the DSA folks.It’s worse,” said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn.

“Homeless are running rampant, costs are going up, no one’s building.It’s problematic.”Waldman said a particular concern with DSA members is what he called their aversion to compromise.“Most DSA elected officials are unwilling to meet with the opposition,” he said.

“They believe w...