Councilwoman Raman previously endorsed Bass but now says the city needs “big changes” amid growing concern that the incumbent mayor has been a disaster for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman entered the race for mayor Saturday, challenging incumbent and embattled political ally Karen Bass justhours before the noon deadline for candidates to file paperwork for the June 2 primary.
During a morning news conference, Raman said she and Bass share many values about what matters for the city, but that Los Angeles faces issues with affordability and housing, among other things, that she hopes to change.
“I do feel like Angelenos have really given us a lot of faith. Voted for more taxes to address affordable housing issues, to address homelessness, to address some of our biggest crises, and if we don’t show results to them, I think we will lose them,” Raman said.
“We are making decisions about our budget that are based on political calculations, as opposed to what is best for Angelenos and what is best for Los Angeles’ middle class,” Raman added. “I think we can change.”
Raman said she was “afraid that the city is no longer a place of opportunity.”
“Los Angeles is at a breaking point, and people feel it in the most basic ways,” she said. “Housing costs are forcing families out of the city. A homelessness system that lacks clear ownership and accountability is leaving people stuck in crisis, while the city cycles from emergency to emergency. Too many people don’t feel safe walking down their own blocks at night even as crime comes down, because broken street lights stay broken, and the city can’t seem to manage the basics.”
Raman said she was “afraid that the city is no longer a place of opportunity.”
“Los Angeles is at a breaking point, and people feel it in the most basic ways,” she said. “Housing costs are forcing families out of the city. A homelessness system that lacks clear ownership and accountability is leaving people stuck in crisis, while the city cycles from emergency to emergency. Too many people don’t feel safe walking down their own blocks at night even as crime comes down, because broken street lights stay broken, and the city can’t seem to manage the basics.”
Raman acknowledged that her decision to run came late, and will likely impact her prospects for endorsements from labor groups, political organizations and others.
“It’s very late in the process to get in the game. I was an outsider when I first ran, and I think I’ll be an outsider in this race, and I’m OK with that,” she said.
Bass admitted she didn’t expect a challenge from Raman.
“Well first of all it was a surprise” Bass told reporters Saturday. “We have been great allies, especially on the issue of homelessness. And I will tell you that I will look forward to working with Nithya Raman in my second term.”
Douglas Herman, a campaign advisor for Bass, criticized Raman’s mayoral bid.
“The last thing Los Angeles needs is a politician who opposed cleaning up homeless encampments and efforts to make our city safer,” he said. “Mayor Bass will continue changing L.A. by building on her track record delivering L.A.’s first sustained decrease in street homelessness, a 60 year-low in homicides, and the most aggressive agenda our city has ever seen to make our city more affordable.”
Raman was elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024 to represent the 4th Council District, representing communities in the southern portion of the San Fernando Valley and eastern Santa Monica Mountains such as Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Hollywood Hills, as well as Griffith Park, Los Feliz and Silver Lake.
Raman’s first successful council bid was supported by the Democratic Socialists of America — the same political organization that bolstered Zohran Mamdani, who won his election for mayor of New York City last year.
She chairs the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and is part of the council’s more left-leaning bloc alongside colleagues Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado.
Her decision to pursue a mayoral run is the latest twist this week leading up to the filing deadline. Hours earlier, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath ended weeks of speculation about a potential run, announcing Friday night that she would instead focus on her campaign for a second term on the Board of Supervisors.
Horvath was the third potential candidate in two days to say they wouldn’t challenge Bass. On Thursday, former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner and billionaire developer Rick Caruso both said they wouldn’t be running.
