The Future of the Democratic Party is Local

When President Donald Trump speaks about America’s blue cities, he paints a bleak picture—one of chaos, decline, and despair. He talks about cities like Los Angeles as if it’s a lost cause, a place people have given up on. But those of us who actually live in cities like Los Angeles can tell you: the image the president is painting could not be further from the truth. Los Angeles is not broken. Los Angeles is not adrift. Los Angeles is not a hellscape. Los Angeles is an economic engine, a bastion of diverse cultures and storytellers, and home to millions of proud Americans. What’s more, Los Angeles is making real, measurable progress on the issues that people once thought were impossible to solve. And our story is bigger than just our city. It’s about the importance of local government to deliver results, even when Washington is consumed by division and dysfunction. It’s about why local solutions to local problems have never mattered more—for both our residents and the future of the Democratic Party.  What is really happening in Los Angeles For decades, Los Angeles—like so many across the country—has faced a systemic homelessness crisis. The problem didn’t emerge overnight, and it will not be solved overnight. But we are finally turning a corner. Homelessness in Los Angeles is declining. Street homelessness is down by 10%. That’s not just a statistic—it represents thousands of people who are no longer sleeping on sidewalks or in cars, thousands of Angelenos who finally have a roof over their heads. Preliminary data shows that this is the second straight year of decline since the crisis exploded. That progress is not accidental. It is the result of sustained, relentless work. Through our signature Inside Safe housing initiative, we have helped thousands of people transition toward stable housing and move hundreds of people inside. Our Inside Safe initiative is not just a program—it’s a mindset of tackling local problems effectively. It’s about meeting people where they are, with empathy and persistence. Our field teams of outreach workers, mental health professionals, and housing navigators go directly to encampments, talk to individuals, and build trust. They help people move first into temporary housing and then walk with them step-by-step toward permanent stability. We have nearly doubled the number of people moved into permanent housing since I took office. This didn’t come from political rhetoric or partisan posturing. It came from focusing on what actually works in our communities—treating homelessness not as a public nuisance, but as a human emergency. That same spirit is driving progress in public safety too. In 2024, homicides in Los Angeles decreased by 14% compared to the year before—taking the homicide rate to the lowest it has been in 60 years. Citywide property crimes including burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft from vehicles also declined. These numbers represent lives saved, families spared, and neighborhoods that feel safer today than they did a year ago. When organized retail theft threatened local businesses and workers, we didn’t point fingers—we acted. Our Retail Theft Task Force has made hundreds arrests and recovered more than $36 million in stolen goods, sending a clear message that violence and crime are not welcome in Los Angeles. Small business is the backbone of our city, and it’s why blue cities like Los Angeles prioritize supporting it. Whether it’s cutting red tape for entrepreneurs trying to get started or investing in neighborhood revitalization, local governments must be a partner in growth, not a barrier to it. The future of the Democratic Party These are not abstract policy successes. They are tangible results that Angelenos can feel in their lives. And even more critically, they rebuild a sense of declining trust from the Democratic Party in recent years.  That’s a lesson I believe the Democratic Party—and those running for office—must take to heart. For Democrats across the country, the work ahead is not just about resisting an administration in Washington that is abusing its power or attacking our values. And make no mistake about it: those threats are serious and we must confront them with the fight they require. Indeed, in Los Angeles, we have done that after the Trump Administration started their authoritarian experiment here—snatching immigrants and innocent civilians off our streets.  At the same time, we must also constantly remind people what good governance looks like. We must stand up to authoritarianism, while also standing tall for competence, compassion, and tangible results. We must not be afraid to talk about our accomplishments because they are proof that Democratic governance works. That the Democratic Party can and will deliver.  In Los Angeles, in cities across California, and in Democratic communities nationwide, local leaders are tackling the issues that keep Americans up at night: housing, safety, affordability, and opportunity. That’s the message we, as a party, should be sharing  face-to-face in our neighborhoods. After the 2024 elections, our path forward as a party is clear. We must regain the trust and confidence of voters. That means showing up, not just in election years, but every day, of every year. It means meeting voters where they are: in community centers, at small businesses, at church gatherings, at kitchen tables. It means listening more than we lecture, and governing in a way that earns belief again in the idea that public service and local government can improve people’s lives. Good governance at the local level has never been more important. It’s where the abstract becomes concrete, where ideas become outcomes, where people see whether democracy works. And that’s why I believe the story of Los Angeles is not just a local story—it’s a national one. It’s proof that even in the face of cynicism and division, progress is possible. It’s proof that compassion and competence can coexist. President Trump will continue to say that blue cities are failures. He’ll say that places like Los Angeles are falling apart. But I invite anyone who believes that to come and see what’s actually happening here.  Because the truth is, cities like Los Angeles are where the future of our collective democracy is being written. Not in rhetoric or tweets, but in the daily work of solving problems and serving people. That’s what we, as Democrats and as Americans, must continue to believe in and fight for.