This special election came down to seven people who had successfully made the ballot, myself included. All of us under the age of 40, all of us running for office for the first or second time. None of us had won an election. I was the only person with a background in racial justice work, which I saw as a benefit for the office. This district, as well as the City of Los Angeles, has a history of racial violence, which is exacerbated by radicalized language used by the previous council member.

I campaigned on bringing care to the district. This included safe housing for our homeless, free transit for all, environmental justice practices, and refunding the community. During the campaign, I was clear about my abolitionist position, and the media made that the main story. And although I didn’t win, our community-based campaign changed the whole landscape of the election.

Other campaigns started using our language and making similar promises. Candidates were called out for refusing to take a strong stance on police spending and ending homelessness. We were able to get to the heart of what people wanted in an elected official, and we showed people that a progressive candidate could run in our district.