Angelenos are set to provide insight into their leadership preferences and key policy priorities after polls close on Tuesday, June 1, as the city holds a closely watched mayoral primary. The election features incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, a reality television star, and a popular City Council member among its candidates.
Jim Newton, editor-in-chief of Blueprint magazine and lecturer at the University of California Los Angeles, discussed the political evolution of Los Angeles in a recent article. He referred to Los Angeles as a “city of change” and said, “Once the bulwark of conservative politics under the protection of a Republican business leadership and a Republican newspaper, the city has moved steadily leftward in recent decades. The days when Richard Riordan, a moderate Republican, could win the support of the electorate are far behind today’s Los Angeles.”
Newton also reflected on shifting attitudes toward public safety funding: “It was not long ago that support for increased LAPD spending was a unifying city objective. Conservatives favored the idea of stricter enforcement of the law, while liberals saw it as a way to pay for police reform and empowering its oversight. No more.” He added that broader trends have contributed to this shift: “There are many reasons for the leftward shift, and not all of them are specific to Los Angeles. The nation’s economic inequality continues to expand, and the plight of those left out of economic growth grows increasingly dire and visible in big cities, where opulence and poverty live side by side.”
Newton is recognized for his experience as an author and journalist with 25 years at the Los Angeles Times. He has written several books including biographies such as “Man of Tomorrow: The Relentless Life of Jerry Brown.”
The University of California Los Angeles has been associated with notable figures such as Nobel laureates and MacArthur Fellows; it fosters diverse perspectives through academic programs; operates within a 419-acre campus; supports scholarship across arts and athletics; functions within the University of California system; and has gained national acclaim through various achievements, according to its official website.
