Zohran Mamdani’s decisive victory in New York City on Tuesday is a wake-up call to the political establishment across the country, and it’s reverberating in Los Angeles among Angelenos who share New Yorkers’ outrage over skyrocketing living costs and extreme wealth inequality. The 34-year-old community organizer and democratic socialist won on a platform that promised sweeping changes: rent freezes, free buses, city-owned grocery stores, and the construction of 200,000 publicly subsidized homes. His campaign drew its strength from a massive volunteer network of tenant unions, faith groups, and labor organizations that rallied around the idea that government should work for working people.

Mamdani’s success reflects deep frustration with incremental leadership. Voters who have grown weary of rising rents, stalled transit improvements, and widening inequality turned out in historic numbers to support a candidate who rejected the “middle path” politics that has dominated city governments for decades. His win exposed “pragmatism” for what it has become: a cover for cowardice, a politics of appeasement that protects the powerful while the crises consuming working people spiral out of control.

Los Angeles appears to be at a similar crossroads. Nearly two years into her term, Mayor Karen Bass faces criticism over her administration’s handling of the city’s homelessness and housing crises. Even among those who once backed her, there is concern that her focus on negotiation and consensus has not produced meaningful results and that City Hall remains too responsive to developers, law enforcement, and corporate donors.

The recent announcement that former LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner is entering the mayoral race has not generated much enthusiasm among voters seeking a break from the status quo. Beutner, a former investment banker and education leader, is seen by many as capable and experienced, but his candidacy feels familiar – it’s pragmatic, polished, and unlikely to disrupt the city’s entrenched political culture. For voters looking for new energy, it reinforces the perception that too many of Los Angeles’s political figures view the mayor’s office not as a place for hands-on problem-solving, but as a capstone to long public or private careers. Increasingly, people are ready for leaders who will roll up their sleeves, work alongside the communities most affected by the city’s crises, and rebuild trust through direct action rather than rhetoric or “locking arms” with other elected officials.

That may help explain the growing interest around Reverend Rae Huang, who just entered the race for mayor. A Presbyterian minister and longtime housing and faith organizer, Huang has spent two decades bringing people together across communities to address affordability, displacement, and inequality. As Deputy Director of Housing NOW! California, she led campaigns to strengthen tenant protections under SB 567 and advance the state’s social housing study bill, SB 555. She also coordinated wildfire recovery efforts in Los Angeles County and co-founded the Faith Collaborative to End Homelessness, which partners with public agencies and congregations to create compassionate, community-based solutions.

For many community leaders, Huang’s background stands out because it comes not from corporate boards or political networks, but from day-to-day organizing. Her entry into the race has drawn attention from grassroots groups eager for a candidate who combines policy knowledge with hands-on experience and a willingness to work directly with working people.

The parallels to New York are clear. Both cities are struggling with housing costs, inequality, and voter disillusionment. Both have electorates increasingly skeptical of leaders who promise bold change but govern through caution. Whether LA follows New York’s lead remains to be seen, but the appetite for change appears to be surging.