Politics

Nithya Raman, Indian‑American Councilmember, Leads Los Angeles Mayoral Race as Left‑Lean Challenger to Karen Bass

By Akriti Anand

Indian‑American Nithya Raman is the leading left‑leaning challenger to incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November 3 Los Angeles mayoral election. If elected, Raman would become the city’s first Indian‑American mayor. A survey conducted from September 15 to 20 found 39 % of voters favoring Raman, compared with 28 % for Bass, with nearly one‑third of respondents undecided, according to PTI.

Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialist movement, has served six years as a Los Angeles City Councilmember representing District 4. She was first elected to the council in 2020, becoming the first Asian‑American woman and the first South Asian to serve on the board. In March 2024 she was re‑elected to a second term.

She has prioritized services for people experiencing homelessness, affordable housing, and climate goals. Raman chairs the Civil Rights, Immigration, Social Services, and Neighborhoods Committee, is vice chair of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, and serves on the Homelessness and Health Committee, Public Safety Committee, and the Ad Hoc Committee for Charter Review.

Raman was born in Kerala on July 28, 1981, moved to Louisiana at age six, and was raised in a Boston suburb. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political theory from Harvard and a master’s in urban planning from MIT. She lives in Silver Lake with her husband, television writer and producer Vali Chandrasekaran, and their twins, who are now ten.

She had previously endorsed Bass for re‑election before entering the race, criticizing Bass as a “missing‑in‑action” mayor during the January 2023 fire crisis.

The Democratic Socialists of America’s national panel has delayed a vote on whether to uphold or rescind the Los Angeles chapter’s endorsement of Raman over concerns that she has not taken a sufficiently tough stance on Israel. The national committee will meet with Raman on October 31 to assess her position on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and other Gaza‑related issues.

Raman has been compared to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a fellow Democratic Socialist and millennial born abroad to South Asian parents. While both campaigns use social media strategically, political experts note that Raman’s style and charisma differ from Mamdani’s.

She argues that Los Angeles lacks leadership, citing problems such as unlit streets, potholes, and delayed 911 responses. Her policy proposals include increased audits of homelessness programs, performance measures for city department heads, an office of tenant protection, and a long‑term infrastructure plan.