Burbank and Cudahy Mayors Represent Rising Progressive Voice in Los Angeles Politics

Following the recent election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor, two Los Angeles County elected officials – Burbank Mayor Nikki Perez and Cudahy Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar Loza – are drawing attention for their similar progressive platforms and work with the Democratic Socialists of America.

Nikki Perez, sworn in as Burbank’s youngest mayor in 2024 at age 30, is also the city’s first Indigenous and openly LGBTQ+ mayor. Prior to her election to the City Council in 2022, Perez worked as a social worker with the L.A. Unified School District and in communications for the California State Assembly. A key focus for Perez has been affordable housing, with the Burbank City Council aiming to construct 12,000 new housing units. “From the point of view of our average residents, most people just really want to be able to live, to work and to play in Burbank, so that’s what my priorities are,” Perez said in 2024. She has also spearheaded a task force to address shrinking creative job prospects in the entertainment industry, a vital sector for Burbank’s economy. You can learn more about Burbank’s economic development here.

Elizabeth Alcantar Loza, the current mayor of Cudahy, has been a vocal advocate for immigrant rights and Palestinian rights. Elected to the Cudahy City Council in 2018, she led the city through the 2020 Delta jet fuel dump and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2023, Cudahy became the first Southern California city to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and accusing Israel’s government of “engaging in collective punishment.” Yesterday, the City Council unanimously voted to divest from investments contributing to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. “As a progressive leader representing one of our SELA cities, I am committed to ethical governance that prioritizes integrity, accountability, and the trust of the people I serve,” Alcantar Loza wrote in a social media post. Renters’ rights are also a major priority, with Cudahy establishing a minimum threshold for eviction in October, requiring missed rent to exceed one month of fair market rent as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This comes as over 80% of Cudahy’s housing units are rentals, according to HUD data.

Alcantar Loza expressed excitement about Mamdani’s victory, stating, “It’s an exciting time to see someone that is so like-minded, that is talking about the issues that matter most to our communities, actually win and win big for our communities and have a plan that will hopefully support folks that are very similar to our folks here.” The rise of these progressive leaders in Los Angeles County reflects a growing demand for policies addressing economic inequality and social justice. Both mayors indicated they will continue to collaborate with other progressive officials in the region to advance their shared goals.