There was an electricity in the air Tuesday night at Mujeres Brew House in Barrio Logan, which served as election central for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Local members of the Working Families Party (WFP) and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) were celebrating the blue wave that swept many of their members and endorsed candidates into office across the country.
The organizations have been gaining traction in recent years with members rallying around popular leaders like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and newly elected Los Angeles Mayor Nithya Raman. DSA nationally ran more than 300 candidacies and ballot measures this election.
"I think that we're all just really excited to see the results of our hard work ... That's why I'm out here," said Kelsey Wardlaw, a DSA member at Tuesday’s election party. "It's really important to me to see representation of DSA candidates in different states and at the national level so that people can see that a better world is possible."
Locally, DSA and WFP have supported campaigns in some of San Diego County’s historically conservative places, including mayoral candidates in El Cajon and Vista.
“It’s a big sign to see that politicians are willing to associate themselves with socialist politics, to collaborate with us as an organization and to show up and see that socialism is not a dirty word in San Diego County,” said Ryan Hill, DSA San Diego co-chair.
In Vista, Kenneth Zuniga is currently running just a couple of points behind the independent Joe Green, according to the most recent count by the Registrar of Voters.
“I think within DSA, I know the San Diego chapter has been slowly growing, but I think with helping run my race and (Alexander) Kraft’s in El Cajon, I think it's helped grow membership and really bring in those skills that we need to help other people run races,” Zuniga said.
Kraft, a WFP member, is running roughly 20 points behind Bill Wells, the conservative Republican incumbent. He talked about his frustrations regarding how skeptical voters viewed his socialist beliefs.
“That’s sort of all anybody wants to talk about — this clash between MAGA and socialism,” Kraft said. “The mayor of El Cajon can’t create socialism. What the mayor of El Cajon can do is institute policies that benefit regular working people.”
Check out the KPBS Voter Hub for updated election results.
