Who is Nithya Raman? Kerala-born politician challenging Karen Bass in LA mayoral race

Kerala-born Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman is challenging incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November 3 mayoral runoff, with the two candidates clashing over the city's homelessness crisis, public safety and leadership during emergencies.

Raman, who previously backed Bass's re-election, has emerged as a serious challenger. A September poll by the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, put Raman at 39 per cent among likely voters, compared with 28 per cent for Bass. About 33 per cent remained undecided.

If elected, Raman, 45, would become the first Indian-American mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States.

Who is Nithya Raman?

Nithya Raman was born in Kerala on July 28, 1981. She moved to Louisiana with her family when she was 6 years old, news agency PTI reported. She pursued political theory at Harvard University before earning a master's degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her academic background in urban planning later shaped her political focus on housing, homelessness and the functioning of city services.

From academics to Los Angeles politics

Raman entered electoral politics in 2020, when she defeated incumbent City Councilmember David Ryu to represent Los Angeles' 4th Council District. Her victory marked a breakthrough for the Democratic Socialists of America, of which she is a member and which supports progressive candidates seeking changes to the city's housing and urban policies.

She was re-elected in 2024 and served on the Los Angeles City Council for six years. During her tenure, Raman has pushed for reforms aimed at increasing the city's housing supply, which is an issue that remains central to Los Angeles' affordability problem.

Why is Raman challenging Karen Bass?

Raman's decision to run for this post came after her earlier endorsement of Bass for re-election. Since then, she has positioned herself as an alternative to the incumbent, saying that Los Angeles needs a change in leadership after years of rising homelessness and questions over public safety and the management of the city.

During Tuesday's debate, Raman criticised Bass for her response to the 2025 Palisades fire. She accused the mayor of being "missing-in-action" during the incident. She added that she was in the city's emergency operations centre, attending to the needs of constituents who had been evacuated.

"The question I heard over and over, there and across the entire city, was, 'Where is our mayor? Where is our mayor?" Raman said.

"You will not have to ask where our mayor is if I am mayor. I will be on the front lines," Raman asserted.

Raman also argued with the incumbent over the city's accommodation crisis, questioning the results of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to address the problem. She argued that residents needed a city that was functional and affordable, where people could pursue their ambitions.

Raman said Los Angeles could not afford another four years of poor management and decline. She also borrowed a line from former US President Ronald Reagan's 1980 election debate, asking voters, "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?"

On which Bass hit back during the debate, accusing Raman of being "unserious, indecisive" and not ready for the top city job.

Challenges in mayoral race for Bass

Raman's campaign has gained momentum in the run-up to the November election. The survey conducted by the University of California between September 15 and 20 placed her 11 percentage points ahead of Bass.