Bollywood music, bright purple blazers and a campaign slogan that could have come straight out of a courtroom drama. Marissa Roy did not run a conventional campaign. And the 34-year-old Indian-origin lawyer is now on course to become Los Angeles' next city attorney, after securing a commanding lead in the November 3 election. According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Roy has secured 488,064 votes, or 66.53 per cent, against her rival John McKinney's 245,511 votes (33.47 per cent). McKinney has conceded the race, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Roy's campaign stood out as much for its style as its politics. Her Instagram videos featured Bollywood music, while her wardrobe of striking amethyst and jewel-toned blazers became something of a trademark. She also sported colour-coordinated chrome manicures, a ritual she began while campaigning for progressive candidates. Her campaign even toyed with the slogan 'Let's sue it'.
But behind the social media flair is a formidable legal career. The daughter of an Indian immigrant mother and an American father, Roy grew up in Monrovia, California. She graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School, attended the University of Southern California on a scholarship and went on to earn a law degree from Yale University.
She began her legal career at the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office in 2017, working on cases involving wage theft and worker exploitation. She later worked as outside counsel for Los Angeles County before joining the California Department of Justice, where she serves as a deputy attorney general.
One of her biggest professional achievements came in the legal battle against Meta. Roy was among the team that helped build California's case against the social media giant over allegations that it concealed the harmful effects of its platforms on children. The litigation resulted in a $17-billion settlement in August.
Roy has promised to turn the city attorney's office into Los Angeles' largest "public interest law firm", taking on landlords, corporations and employers accused of exploiting ordinary residents.
