Democratic Socialism in the 2026 California Elections:Local Chapter Reports
Santa Barbara
DSA Santa Barbara has decided to endorse candidates for local city council, including a mayoral candidate. As of 2024, Santa Barbara has enjoyed a slight 4-3 progressive majority on City Council, allowing for such policies as a local Rent Stabilization Ordinance and the non-renewal of a contract with Flock. However, this majority hangs in the balance in the upcoming election with four seats on council being up for grabs. The current mayor, a conservative man who has hurt progress in the city, has decided not to run for reelection, and three council members have termed out, two of whom are progressives.
One of these progressive city council members, Kristen Sneddon, has decided to run for mayor and has received our endorsement due to her continued work on protecting renters and her overall alignment with DSA principles. We have also endorsed Gabe Escobedo, Ian Baucke, and Devon Wardlow, who are running for the other City Council seats in different districts. All of them have shown willingness, if not eagerness, to work with our local chapter. Furthermore, they all support strong tenant protections and are adamant on limiting ICE activity in Santa Barbara to whatever extent they are able. DSA-SB is incredibly focused on the local level and therefore has made no other endorsements.
—Beckett S
Los Angeles
We’re excited to announce the results of our phase 3 electoral endorsement process! DSA-LA is proud to newly endorse:
Nithya Raman for Los Angeles City Mayor
Angela Gonzales-Torres for Congressional District 34
Noland Sutherland for Burbank City Council
Mike Van Gorder for Burbank City Council
Stephan Post for West Hollywood City Council
Estefany Castenada for Centinela Valley UHSD Trustee
Yaritza Gonzalez for Inglewood Unified School District, Trustee
They join their fellow members Marissa Roy and Estuardo Mazariegos on our team of union leaders, renters, tenant organizers, parents, and activists who are running for office to fight for working class values and create real change across Los Angeles. You can learn more about our candidates on our website shakeup.la.
DSA-LA is ready to unite tenants, union members, immigrant communities, and working Angelenos behind a slate that can break corporate interests’ grip on city government. Our vision is clear: win office, build a governing majority, and deliver a city working people can afford to call home. But we can’t win without your help: now’s the time to mobilize to knock doors, organize your neighbors, and get out the vote.
—DSA-LA Electoral Politics Committee
San Diego
DSA San Diego canvasses for Alexander Kraft for mayor.
This November, DSA San Diego has endorsed two mayoral candidates and two ballot measures. Kenneth Zuniga is a longtime DSA member running for Mayor of the city of Vista here in San Diego County! He served on the Homelessness Commission and has successfully organized to keep ICE out of city facilities. He has also organized against the installation of Flock cameras in Vista. As Mayor, he hopes to lower the cost of living in the city, and advocate for union-backed jobs and truly affordable housing.
Alexander Kraft is a socialist labor organizer running for Mayor of El Cajon. Kraft is fighting back against the far-right mayor and city council, for police reform, housing, and protecting El Cajon’s large immigrant community from ICE.
The chapter has also endorsed two ballot measures aimed at funding important services through taxing the rich. These measures are Proposition 40 and Proposition 3. Prop 40 is a one-time 5% emergency wealth tax on billionaires in the state, raising 100 billion dollars to fund healthcare and education. This measure was created after Medicaid funds were taken away from Californians by the federal government (called “Medi-Cal” in California). It is vital that this passes so that millions of working-class people don't lose their healthcare. Prop 3 is a proposal to make permanent an existing tax on high-income earners to help fund K-12 and community college education. The loss of this funding would be incredibly detrimental to the future of access to education. DSA San Diego is excited to support these campaigns and continue building socialism in the region!
—Tajhay Banks
Orange County
Over the past few months, OC DSA has seen an undeniable socialist surge to over 800 dues-paying members in good standing.
We held an endorsement forum and with an overwhelming vote of over 90% of that day’s participating membership, OC DSA elected to provide endorsement and on the ground field support for three Santa Ana City Council candidates: Isuri Ramos (Ward 6), Sandra De Anda (Ward 4) and Ben Vasquez (Ward 2).
Three class warriors
Sandra De Anda has been one of Orange County’s strongest warriors against OC’s ICE incursion, utilizing the OC Rapid Response Network and fighting for families through policy making across the county.
Isuri Ramos is a community advocate and planning commission chair who has been fighting tirelessly against data centers, for tenant rights and for police accountability.
Benjamin Vasquez is seeking re-election. He is a teacher and reform leader in his union who has been a champion of workers’ rights, rent control and affordability as well as expanding necessary social services for all of Santa Ana.
Two wolves
Inside Orange County exists two wolves: a billionaire-worshipping fascist supremacist movement that seeks to push down all workers in favor of jailing our neighbors, pushing unwanted data centers, and creating an ever-present Flock police state—and the Socialists relentlessly pushing back against their tide for equality, affordability and dignity for all.
It is our hope that we can start electing the type of leaders we want to see in office, gain electoral power and use the template that has been so successful in New York to build up Orange County’s ground game to bring about the type of county we all want. A victory in these races will show the power of socialist organizing in Orange County and be a strong sign of things to come in one of Southern California’s more traditionally conservative counties.
We want to thank all three for sharing their time and effort in seeking OCDSA’s endorsement. OCDSA has appointed liaisons for each campaign as we work toward a shared vision of power for OC’s working class.
—Tommy Woo
Inland Empire
Inland Empire DSA is proud to endorse Joz Sida for Fontana Mayor, Joe Alvanez for Fontana City Clerk, and Proposition 40, the Billionaire Tax. These endorsements reflect our commitment to building working-class power, electing leaders accountable to their communities, and making the wealthy pay their fair share to fund the services working people rely on.
—Odeh G
Long Beach
First day Tax the Rich canvass for DSA Long Beach.
Our Billionaire Tax kickoff canvass for Prop. 40 launched today! ✊
Thank you to everyone who knocked doors with us. Learn about more @dsa_lb Tax the Rich events and get involved. Election Day 2026 is right around the corner!
dsalb.org/taxtherich
—Sunday 9/13 from Insta
Humboldt
G Mario Fernandez has served on the Eureka City Council for the past four years. He has been a consistent advocate for the working class, for the unhoused, for immigrant, LGBTQ+, and marginalized communities. He has supported important measures including Eureka’s Sanctuary Declaration for Transgender People, the boycotting of Avelo Airlines for working with ICE, and calling on CalPERS to divest from companies participating in the genocide of Gaza. Mario has championed programs like Uplift Eureka (helping the unhoused secure housing and jobs) and CARE (Crisis Alternative Response Eureka, using mental health clinicians and case managers to handle non-violent crises) for community response rather than law enforcement officers.
Mario understands that true public safety comes from investment in people’s quality of life, not through surveillance. He advocates denser, mixed-use planning, expanding available housing, stronger renter protections, and strengthening our public transit system. Mario champions green jobs and workforce development through infrastructure improvement projects and upgrades to address climate change. Eureka is the heart of Humboldt County and needs someone who will advocate for living wages, peace, and human dignity. Mario has the proven, experienced leadership necessary to continue building a livable and safe community for all. Humboldt DSA proudly endorses G Mario Fernandez for Eureka City Council!
—Eryn P
Sacramento
Sacramento DSA has endorsed Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang for Congress in CA-D7, Emily Smet for American River Flood Control District Division 2, and Prop 40, the California Billionaire Tax Act.
Mai Vang has an established history of advocating for the working class by delivering essential infrastructure and social services to her constituents. She is running on a platform of universal child care, Medicare for All, ending the genocide in Gaza, and abolishing ICE.
Emily Smet is an environmental scientist and former chapter co-chair of Sacramento DSA running on a platform of responsible environmental stewardship, cooperation with rather than punishment of our unhoused neighbors living near the American River, and interrupting the interests of former developers and lobbyists who use local boards to enrich themselves rather than serve the people.
—Sara C and Twixt T