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DSA National Leaders Consider Revoking Los Angeles Mayoral Endorsement
By Drooid · · How we work
Endorsement at Risk
Member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman faces possible loss of the endorsement granted by the DSA’s Los Angeles chapter in August. The national party’s Political Committee is reviewing whether to rescind that endorsement after determining the local chapter failed to follow national rules requiring a clear question about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
National DSA’s Rationale
According to the DSA’s National Political Committee, the Los Angeles chapter violated party protocol because it did not ask Raman whether she supports BDS before endorsing her. The committee has drafted proposals that would both strip the endorsement and prohibit the local chapter from using DSA resources to aid her campaign. The national organization has not provided further comment.
Local Chapter’s Defense
Los Angeles chapter co-chairs Leslie Chang and Sean Wakasa acknowledged the omission of the mandatory BDS question as an “oversight.” In a message to members obtained by Vanity Fair, they argued that Raman’s positions on Palestinian rights have “evolved significantly” and that she remains aligned with the DSA on that issue. The chapter has asked Raman’s campaign for a written statement clarifying her stance; the campaign has not responded to repeated requests.
Potential Impact on the Campaign
If the national leadership proceeds with rescinding the endorsement, Raman would lose a key source of grassroots support and the ability of the Los Angeles DSA chapter to mobilize resources for her bid. The dispute highlights internal tensions within the DSA over how strictly the organization should enforce its BDS policy in candidate endorsements.