What's Next, Los Angeles? with Mike Bonin

The votes have been (mostly) counted, and the winners are clear.  What will a Bass-Raman match up look like? And what will it mean for Los Angeles? I share some thoughts. Also: an interview with City Controller Kenneth Mejia and his campaign manager, Jane Nguyen, about his resounding victory; and a conversation with County Registrar Dean Logan about the controversy over the pace of the count in Lo...

The office of Los Angeles City Attorney doesn’t always get the same attention as races for mayor or city council, but it plays a major role in how the city functions — overseeing legal advice to city departments, enforcement of city laws, and misdemeanor prosecutions, while also shaping how the city approaches issues like housing, labor standards, consumer protection, and civil rights. Today’s gue...

Today we turn to the race for lieutenant governor — an office that often gets less attention than governor or senator, but one that can play an important role in shaping state policy, economic development, higher education, and California’s political future. Today’s guest is Michael Tubbs. Tubbs first gained national attention when he was elected mayor of Stockton at age 26, becoming one of the yo...

Today, we continue our focus on the race for the State Senate seat in District 26, currently held by Maria Elena Durazo, who is termed out of office. District 26 is a dense, urban district centered in Los Angeles, including Downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. It’s home to largely Latino and immigrant communities, with a mix of working-class families and renters, a...

Sara Hernandez, an attorney, educator, and member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, is running for State Senate District 26, ans she joins me on this episode of What's Next, Los Angeles. District 26, currently represented by Maria Elena Durazo, is a dense, urban district centered in Los Angeles, including Downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, and surrounding ne...

Sarah Rascon is community advocate and candidate for State Senate in one of Los Angeles’ most diverse and fast-changing districts. She is running on a message focused on affordability and access to opportunity. She joins me to talk about her campaign. That’s on this episode of WNLA. Today we turn to the race for the State Senate seat in District 26, currently held by Maria Elena Durazo, who is ter...

A neighborhood leader and civil rights advocate, Ellen Evans is running for State Senate District 24. She joins me to talk about her campaign and the issues shaping the district.  Evans has spent decades working in her community as an organizer, advocate, and local leader. She is the co-founder of the Doheny Sunset Plaza Neighborhood Association, where she has represented more than 2,000 household...

Zennon Ulyate-Crow is a recent college graduate and housing advocate who is aiming to become one of the youngest members of the California State Senate. He joins me to talk about his campaign for the 24th Senate district seat. That’s on this episode of WNLA. Ulyate-Crow grew up in Topanga and has been involved in organizing and public policy work since he was a student. While in college, he focuse...

Los Angeles may be on the verge of some major changes to how its city government actually works — changes that could affect everything from who holds power at City Hall to how decisions get made and services get delivered. Raymond Meza, who chaired the commission behind those proposals, joins me to walk through what’s being proposed. That’s on this episode of WNLA. The City Charter is essentially...

He is a businessman, an environmental advocate, and a former presidential candidate, and has emerged as an early Democratic frontrunner in the race for governor of California. He is running on a message focused on affordability, government performance, and economic fairness. Tom Steyer joins me to talk about his campaign .  We talk about a lot of issues you don't hear about on the statewide c...

She is a sitting City Councilmember who has focused on homelessness. housing and government reform -- and now she's running for mayor of Los Angeles. Nithya  Raman joins me for a conversation about her campaign and the direction of the City on this episode of What's Next. Los Angeles,  Raman was first elected in 2020 to represent Council District 4. She defeated an incumbent in a race th...

Today we continue our look at the race for the State Senate seat held by Ben Allen, who is termed out of office after 12 years representing a sprawling district that includes the South Bay the coastal Westside, and neighborhoods like Fairfax and Hollywood. Today’s guest is Mike Newhouse, an attorney and longtime neighborhood advocate from Venice. Newhouse is a land-use attorney and small business...

A community organizer and faith leader focused on housing and affordability is running for mayor. Reverend Rae Huang joins me to talk about her campaign. That’s on this episode of WNLA. Huang has spent two decades bringing people together across faith communities, neighborhoods, and movements to advocate for dignity, fairness, and a more inclusive city. As Deputy Director at Housing NOW! Californi...

Our in-depth conversations with candidates seeking your vote continues . . In this episode, more on the race for the State Senate seat held by Ben Allen, who is termed out of office after 12 years representing a sprawling district that includes the South Bay the coastal Westside, Malibu and Santa Monica, and neighborhoods like Fairfax and Hollywood. Today’s guest is Sion Roy, a physician and membe...

We’re bringing you conversations with candidates running for mayor of Los Angeles — recorded live in front of an audience in a series of fireside chats. These conversations are conducted in my capacity as executive director of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA. They’re designed to be longer, more in-depth discussions about the nature of public leadership, the challenges facing the city and t...

It is election season again, and that means more candidate spotlights so you can get to know the people who are asking for your vote. Today, in the debut episode of a new season of What's Next, Los Angeles: John Erickson, candidate for State Senate in District 24.  SD24 is the seat being vacated by Ben Allen, who is termed out of office after 12 years representing a sprawling district that st...

He has served the 9th City Council District in Los Angeles for years as a council deputy. He has managed political campaigns. And he racked up a ton of endorsements from elected officials. Today I talk with candidate Jose Ugarte. In this third installment of interviews with candidates to succeed retiring councilmember Curren Price, I speak with Jose Ugarte, A top aide to  Price, Ugarte is a visibl...

He is a housing justice advocate who has been a community organizer since he was a kid – and now he is running for Los Angeles City Council. I talk with Estuardo Mazariegos, candidate for Council District 9 in the City of Los Angeles, on this episode of WNLA. Today is the second installment of our series of interviews with candidates running to succeed Curren Price on the LA City Council. The 9th...

The 9th City Council District in Los Angeles stretches from the southern edge of Downtown Los Angeles, through South Central, all the way toward Watts. The communities of Central-Alameda, Vernon-Central, South Park, Green Meadows, and Vermont Square all call District 9 home. The district is among the most diverse and youngest in the city, with over three-quarters of residents identifying as Latino...

In a special episode of What's Next, Los Angeles, we present a 45 minute one-on-one interview with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, recorded last week. In May, Mike became the executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for public affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. The Institute is dedicated to strengthening, promoting, and defending democracy.  A key focus is studying, understanding, and culti...

A respected local University shocked its faculty and its students recently by abruptly ending labor negotiations and invoking a religious exemption to shut down a campus union. In this episode, we hear from professors fighting for fair pay, job security, and respect in a high-stakes labor battle at Loyola Marymount University. Brian Wisch and Linh Hwa, both non-tenure track (NTT) faculty at LMU an...

Has California – once a leader in fighting climate change – begun to retrench, moving backward after years of progress? That’s what we discuss on this episode of What's Next, Los Angeles, with special guest Mike Young, executive director of California Environmental Voters. The 2025 California legislative session brought headline-grabbing action on environmental and climate issues—but it’s a r...

What is the fuss about ULA, the measure Los Angeles city voters approved in 2022? The debate over its impact may be more hotly contested today than it was when it was on the ballot. Measure ULA, dubbed “the mansion tax" by supporters, imposes a transfer tax on property sales above approximately $5 million. Funds go toward affordable housing production and homelessness prevention programs in t...

Los Angeles may be home to a powerful labor movement today, but it was not always that way. Los Angeles was once known as one of the most anti-union cities in the country. On this Labor Day weekend, we re-air Mike's 2024 interview with Kent Wong of the UCLA Labor Center. Kent walks us through the ups and downs of the history of organized labor in Los Angeles -- and reveals how victories and l...

Wallis Annenberg was a titan in the world of philanthropy. An heir to the Anneneberg family fortune, she served as chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation since 2009, giving away more than $3 billion in charitable grants to a variety of causes, including the arts, wildlife, seniors, and inner-city youth. But the obituaries celebrating her life and lauding her achievements failed to ment...