Far-left Democrat socialist organizer Rae Huang officially launched her campaign for Los Angeles mayor over the weekend.
Huang is positioning herself as a radical challenger to incumbent Democrat Mayor Karen Bass and vowing to take on what she calls the city’s entrenched “establishment.”
“I am excited and very humbled to announce that I am running for Mayor of Los Angeles, the second largest city in our nation,” Huang wrote in an Instagram announcement Saturday.
She described her candidacy as an extension of two decades of activism.
“After over 20 years of leaning into my call to serve God through social justice work and organizing, this path has led me in these uncertain times to take the unusual path to continue my calling by running for Mayor to finally see through the changes the LA social justice movement and I have been building for years,” the socialism activist continued.
Huang, 43, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and a longtime community organizer.
Her platform mirrors the agenda that helped propel New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to victory.
Like Mamdani, Huang is pushing radical policies such as universal housing, “free” public transit, communist-style shared communal living, climate initiatives, and sweeping affordability programs.
She pledged that her campaign would reject corporate money while challenging what she labeled the “billionaire class.”
“Over the past decade, I have worked with Los Angeles organizers and neighbors on solutions for our city,” she wrote.
“Now it’s time we implement them.
“I will be running against the establishment and the billionaire class and will not be accepting any money from corporations.”
Speaking with The Los Angeles Times, Huang declined to draw explicit parallels to Mamdani.
However, Huang noted that she hopes to earn the backing of the local DSA chapter, which openly celebrated his election.
She also criticized Bass for what she described as failures on homelessness and political unrest, framing her own campaign as part of a broader national shift toward more aggressive progressive challenges.
“We are in a place in our country and in our political environment where folks feel stuck and afraid,” Huang said.
“They feel like nothing is going to change, and the things that are changing are making things even worse.”
The Bass campaign quickly pushed back.
Spokesperson Doug Herman defended the mayor’s record on housing, public safety, and emergency response, while reminding voters of Bass’s legal fight against federal immigration enforcement during the previous Democrat administration.
“Under Mayor Bass’s leadership, there has been unprecedented progress on the issues that matter most to Angelenos,” Herman said.
“Homelessness has declined for the first time in two consecutive years, neighborhoods are safer with significant drops in crime, and the Palisades fire recovery continues far ahead of pace with the fastest recovery and rebuilding in California history.
“In addition, there was no better defender of Los Angeles than Mayor Karen Bass when Trump’s ICE raids started, and we won a court ruling to help stop the illegal raids and unconstitutional arrests.
“That’s what we need to move Los Angeles forward.”
Huang’s entry comes as progressive challengers are increasingly targeting incumbent Democrats in major cities.
Just last week, left-wing activist Katie Wilson defeated Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell after campaigning on government-run grocery stores, higher taxes on the wealthy, and expanded housing programs.
This agenda is similar to the one Huang is now promising in Los Angeles.
READ MORE – Mamdani Supporters Struggle to Explain Why They Voted for Him
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