India Tribune Newsdesk
Los Angeles: Nithya Raman stunned Los Angeles politics when she filed to run for mayor just hours before the deadline, mounting a surprise challenge to incumbent Karen Bass. The move came shortly after Raman had endorsed Bass for reelection, reshaping the 2026 race overnight and igniting debate across the city’s political spectrum.
Raman first burst onto the political scene in 2020, when she defeated incumbent councilmember David Ryu in a race that drew national attention. Backed by thousands of volunteers and endorsements from figures such as Bernie Sanders, as well as celebrities including Jane Fonda and Mindy Kaling, Raman mobilized new voters and centered her campaign on housing and homelessness. Her victory, powered by more than 2,000 volunteers who knocked on tens of thousands of doors, marked one of the most significant upsets in recent Los Angeles history and drew comparisons to insurgent progressive campaigns nationwide.
Now 44, Raman serves as chair of the City Council’s housing and homelessness committee. Though some of her positions have evolved in office — and she has faced criticism from both moderates and the left, including tensions with the Democratic Socialists of America chapter that once endorsed her — she remains widely viewed as a leading progressive voice at City Hall.
Her late mayoral entry comes at a volatile moment. Bass has faced scrutiny over the city’s handling of wildfires, homelessness and public safety, though her allies point to declines in street homelessness and homicides as evidence of progress. With several challengers opting not to run, the race had appeared to tilt in Bass’s favor. Raman’s candidacy has upended that calculus.
To qualify for the June primary ballot, candidates must gather hundreds of valid signatures within weeks. Raman’s campaign has turned the requirement into a grassroots mobilization effort, with volunteers fanning out across neighborhoods to collect petitions. Supporters cite her responsiveness during local crises, her focus on affordability and infrastructure, and her willingness to connect budget decisions to everyday concerns such as street lighting and city services.
Raman has rejected narratives framing her run as personal betrayal, insisting the election should center on policy and accountability. “This city needs a fighter,” she said, casting her bid as an urgent effort to make Los Angeles more affordable and effective.
Whether she can consolidate enough of the liberal base — much of which already aligns with Bass — remains an open question. But her eleventh-hour entry has transformed what seemed like a predictable race into one defined by energy, uncertainty and a renewed sense that change may be possible in America’s second-largest city.
(Information collected from news dispatches)
