LA mayoral candidate Rae Huang says she would bring 'complete, utter change' to City Hall
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Democratic socialist Rae Huang is running for mayor of Los Angeles and has big ideas to reshape the city, starting with reimagining public safety.
The first thing Huang said she would do is fire LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.
"We've seen their ability to control so much of what City Hall gets to do," Huang said. "So much of our city budget goes to LAPD, even though, while we've seen a drop in crime, while the numbers of LAPD go down, we continue to fund this, you know, community, or this particular organization that doesn't actually make people feel safe or secure."
WATCH: Extended interview with mayoral candidate Rae Huang
Huang said she would expand crisis response services instead of sending just police officers to an incident - something the city is already doing - and focus on the difficult task of preventing crime before it happens.
"Housing is a human right, that's what I believe," Huang said. "Housing should be for people, not for profit, and so we need to make housing a real reality for most folks because a lot of people can't stay stably housed."
"A lot of folks have to work more than two jobs, maybe three jobs, to be able to live right now and survive here in Los Angeles," Huang added. "What if people actually had enough so that they weren't looking for other economic opportunities that might be illegal, that they didn't have to turn to crime to be able to ensure their basic needs."
Eyewitness News asked Huang about Mayor Karen Bass and McDonnell saying LAPD does not cooperate with immigration enforcement operations - something Huang has questioned.
"I am working with people on the ground every day who are doing rapid response work, who are actually in the moment... We are seeing LAPD ensuring that ICE can do their job," Huang said.
You don't usually see a candidate for mayor out with protesters, involved in intense confrontations with police, but this is how Huang has campaigned.
She believes she's a stronger anti-establishment choice for Los Angeles voters than reality TV star Spencer Pratt.
Huang was asked if she's disappointed the Democratic Socialists of America did not endorse her.
"No, I'm not. Here's the thing is that I trust in democracy. I trust in people and in communities to be able to decide for themselves," she said.
"When I started to run, I was new to DSA," Huang added. "I've been organizing alongside DSA for a long time as a partner. I was not a member, so I respect their decision."
The Los Angeles chapter of DSA didn't endorse the other candidate in the mayor's race associated with the party, Nithya Raman, but it did recommend a vote for her.
"I think there's a conflation between who Nithya Raman represents and what I represent... I'm actually calling for a complete, utter change," Huang said.
Another priority for Huang, a Presbyterian minister and community organizer, is launching L.A.'s first office of nightlife.
"We have some of the best restaurants, the best nightlife, the best bar, but we end our night a lot of times at 10 p.m.," Huang said. "A lot of people want to go out. If we expand it way into the evening, it allows us to be able to expand our economy, make sure people are safe and have a lot more fun. Be the city that never sleeps."
