The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has emerged as the clear winner of the city’s June 7 primary in the weeks since ballot counting began. Five out of the nine candidates on the ballot for city office to earn the DSA’s endorsement have either won outright (garnering more than 50 percent of the vote) or advanced to the general election with leads over their rivals. The results reveal the expanding political might of L.A.’s socialist Left.
Los Angeles primaries usually see low turnout. Well-organized groups with a solid ground game stand to do best. This year, every registered voter was mailed a ballot, and 84 percent of ballots were cast by mail. The city now permits ballot harvesting and unguarded drop boxes, and it doesn’t check signatures. The DSA took advantage of these rules, got boots on the ground, and reaped the rewards.
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