Nithya Raman Stunned The L.a. Political World In 2020. Now, She Wants To Do It Again

Nithya Raman began her governmental profession by defeating a well-funded incumbent pinch heavy ties to nan Democratic Party establishment.

Raman, an municipality planner who was moving to shingle up nan position quo, became nan first personification to oust a sitting councilmember successful 17 years, stunning nan Los Angeles governmental constitution pinch her conclusion of David Ryu successful 2020.

Now, pinch her surprise, last-minute introduction into nan mayor’s race, nan 44-year-old Silver Lake resident is hoping to conclusion different incumbent, Karen Bass, by expanding connected nan look that led to her first upset victory.

“I was an outsider erstwhile I first ran, and I deliberation I’ll beryllium an outsider successful this race,” Raman said aft filing her campaigner paperwork connected Feb. 7, hours earlier nan deadline.

But aft six years astatine City Hall, Raman is nary longer an outsider. She has her ain record, which is successful galore ways intertwined pinch nan mayor’s, peculiarly connected homelessness, an rumor nan onetime friends person worked intimately together to remedy.

As a City Council member, Raman, whose erstwhile campaigns were backed by Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles, has sometimes walked a governmental tightrope, exasperating her progressive guidelines connected issues for illustration policing. Last week, she said that nan LAPD must not shrink further — a important improvement from her “defund nan police” declaration during her first tally for council.

She has besides disappointment immoderate connected nan near by calling for changes to nan city’s “mansion tax,” which she backed successful 2022 but which she now says is getting successful nan measurement of much-needed development.

Raman shook up a mayoral title that was devoid of high-powered challengers aft erstwhile L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner dropped out and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and billionaire developer Rick Caruso decided not to run.

“Nithya has shown that she tin get votes. She’s going to beryllium competitive,” said Bill Carrick, a longtime Democratic governmental advisor who worked connected campaigns for erstwhile Mayors Eric Garcetti, James Hahn and Richard Riordan.

But her precocious introduction will make it much difficult to get endorsements and raise money. With 3 months earlier ballots are mailed for nan June 2 primary, she will person to activity astatine double velocity to build a run infrastructure and pat into bases that person helped her triumph before, from Hollywood supporters to DSA members and pro-housing advocates from nan YIMBY — Yes successful My Backyard — movement.

She has already missed DSA’s endorsement season. And past week, 9 of her 14 City Council colleagues reiterated their endorsements of Bass, including different progressive assembly member, Hugo Soto-Martínez, who said he was “caught off-guard” by Raman’s “last-minute maneuver.”

Raman, who had besides endorsed Bass, will person to combat difficult feelings among immoderate L.A. politicos who consciousness that her introduction into nan title is simply a betrayal of a mayor who helped her triumph reelection successful 2024.

Raman has said that her determination to tally was driven successful portion by her vexation pinch metropolis leaders’ inability to get nan basics right, specified arsenic fixing streetlights and paving streets.

Since launching her campaign, Raman has besides joined a chorus of Angelenos criticizing Bass’ handling of nan catastrophic Palisades fire, saying nan metropolis must beryllium amended prepared for awesome emergencies.

As nan particulate settles connected her unexpected candidacy, governmental observers are assessing Raman’s prospects — some her strengths and nan obstacles that guidelines betwixt her and nan mayor’s office.

Bass run spokesperson Douglas Herman declined to comment. A Raman run spokesperson, Jeff Millman, besides declined to comment.

Ryu, who mislaid to Raman successful 2020, said Bass should beryllium “nervous” astir her newest opponent.

To win, Ryu said, Raman must pat into nan strengths that helped propel her to triumph successful nan past, including her prowess pinch societal media.

“She couldn’t speak successful beforehand of crowds astatine nan beginning. She was ace nervous,” Ryu said. “But ohio my God, her societal media team, nan accumulation worth of her videos. It’s a science.”

Raman’s 2020 run will beryllium difficult to replicate. That year, the assembly race focused not conscionable connected section argumentation but besides connected nationalist issues specified arsenic #MeToo and nan constabulary execution of George Floyd, Ryu said. Big-name politicians weighed in, pinch Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsing Raman and erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsing Ryu.

The astir important difference, Ryu said, is that Raman tin nary longer plausibly position herself arsenic an outsider.

“Now there’s a record. It’s easy erstwhile you’re nan activistic fighting nan system. But erstwhile you’re successful there, you recognize it’s a zero-sum game,” he said. “Do you want to trim trees and hole potholes aliases build housing? Sometimes that is nan sadistic reality.”

In nan coming months, Raman will person to scope beyond her district, which stretches from Silver Lake to Reseda, introducing herself and her grounds to voters crossed nan city. She began a media blitz successful her first week arsenic a candidate, doing interviews pinch NBC4, KNX News and The Times.

Her main extremity should beryllium to make it to nan November runoff, said Mike Trujillo, a Democratic governmental consultant.

If nary campaigner among nan astir 40 moving for politician wins much than 50% of nan ballot successful nan June 2 primary, nan apical 2 finishers will move to nan runoff.

A runoff would let Raman a caller start, pinch each campaigner starting a caller information of fundraising and pitching themselves to voters successful a one-on-one contest.

“If it’s Nithya and Mayor Bass, they would some commencement astatine zero,” Trujillo said. “For a challenger, that is simply a godsend.”

That leaves governmental watchers doing nan mathematics of really nan politician and nan councilmember could get to nan runoff, and which candidates mightiness artifact their way.

After Bass and Raman, nan 3 biggest figures successful nan title are Spencer Pratt, Rae Huang and Adam Miller.

Pratt is simply a registered Republican whose location burned down successful nan Palisades fire. He has been sharply captious of nan mayor’s handling of nan occurrence and has gained traction pinch nationalist Republicans, including friends of President Trump.

Of nan much than 2 cardinal registered voters successful nan metropolis of Los Angeles, conscionable nether 15% were Republicans arsenic of December 2025.

Mike Murphy, a Republican governmental consultant, thinks Pratt could get 19% to 21% of nan vote, pinch a ceiling successful nan mid to precocious 20s.

“Not liking Karen does not make you a Republican,” Murphy said.

On nan different broadside of nan spectrum, organization organizer Rae Huang has been moving an unabashedly leftist campaign, calling for free buses and nan abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Huang has not been endorsed by DSA’s Los Angeles chapter, but she is simply a personnel of nan organization.

In 2022, leftist Gina Viola won astir 7% of nan ballot successful nan primary.

Trujillo, nan Democratic consultant, said nan different chaotic paper is Adam Miller, nan tech entrepreneur who has waded into nan conflict against homelessness. Miller could walk a important magnitude of his ain luck successful nan title — arsenic Caruso did against Bass successful 2022.

If Pratt and Huang harvester to return 25% and Miller tin return location successful nan 20% range, past Raman and Bass would person to interest astir not making nan runoff.

“Suddenly, you person a three-way jump ball,” Trujillo said.

Despite having much sanction nickname than immoderate of her opponents, Raman will request to raise important costs successful a short time.

“My dream is that money will flow,” said Dave Rand, a onshore usage lawyer progressive connected lodging issues who supports Raman.

Rand said that developers and group successful nan YIMBY activity will support Raman, who has been a beardown advocator for building much lodging successful Los Angeles.

Mott Smith, a developer and Raman supporter, said he believes chap developers who cognize Raman will “gladly” lend to her campaign.

Smith said he is concerned astir Angelenos associating Raman pinch DSA, which could move disconnected much mean voters.

“She will triumph if Los Angeles gets to cognize nan pragmatic, solutions-oriented Nithya, arsenic opposed to nan animation image that 1 paints erstwhile they perceive she is nan latest of nan DSA candidates to tally for agency here,” he said.