Highly rated councilmember makes last-minute entry after endorsing former ally Karen Bass – can she build a campaign to win?
N
ithya Raman, a progressive urban planner, entered Los Angeles politics with a bang when she was elected to city council in 2020, defeating an incumbent Democrat endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.
More than five years on, the 44-year-old is making waves again with her last-minute entry into the LA mayoral race. Raman filed to run just hours before the deadline – after recently endorsing Mayor Karen Bass for re-election – to the surprise of constituents, and political allies and opponents alike.
The bombshell development came after the race had finally appeared to be swinging in Bass’s favor, following months of criticism over the city’s handling of last year’s wildfires and ever present frustrations about homelessness and housing. Several competitors had recently announced that they would not run, seemingly easing Bass’s path to victory. That also presented an opening for Raman.
