Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman leads polls to challenge Mayor Karen Bass

Nithya Raman is leading in polls to oust Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in the Nov. 3 election. Raman, a 45-year-old member of the Los Angeles City Council, has built a diverse coalition of union members, democratic socialists, and South Asian American workers.

Her Political Rise

In 2020, Raman unseated an incumbent council member as a political newcomer. She later fended off a well-funded challenge from a former prosecutor in 2024. A series of unlikely events cleared her path to the mayoral race after Austin Beutner dropped out due to a family tragedy and Spencer Pratt joined the contest. Raman is now drawing comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani due to their shared DSA membership, millennial age, and South Asian background.

Campaign and Criticisms

Los Angeles political experts suggest Raman's rise stems less from the DSA agenda than from widespread anger toward current leaders. Raman has criticized city leadership for failing to fix streetlights, fill potholes, and answer 911 calls. In response, Bass has argued that Raman lacks the experience to run the nation's second-largest city, pointing to the upcoming 2028 Olympics and noting that none of Raman's City Council colleagues have endorsed her.

Background and Policy

Born in Kerala, India, Raman grew up near Boston, graduated from Harvard University, and earned a master's degree from MIT. She moved to Los Angeles with her husband in 2013, where the couple had twins who are now 10. Her career includes working at nonprofits, serving as executive director of Times Up, and co-founding a homelessness support group. Her policy proposals include auditing homelessness programs, creating an office of tenant protection, and improving infrastructure.

Context

Municipal elections in large American cities frequently focus on local service delivery like housing, policing, and infrastructure maintenance. Challenges against incumbent mayors often gain traction when voters express frustration with basic city operations and municipal response times.