Nithya Raman Enters Los Angeles Mayoral Race Against Karen Bass
Raman filed hours before the noon filing deadline to join the June 2, 2026 primary, challenging Mayor Karen Bass on housing, homelessness and wildfire response.
Overview
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman formally entered the mayoral race, filing her declaration hours before the noon filing deadline to qualify for the June 2, 2026 primary, campaign officials said.
Raman said at a press conference that Los Angeles is "at a breaking point," citing rising housing costs, a homelessness system "stuck in crisis" and fallout from the Jan. 2025 Palisades Fire that killed 12 people.
Mayor Karen Bass's campaign adviser Douglas Herman issued a statement criticizing Raman's record on encampments and defending Bass's tenure, saying the mayor delivered a 60-year low in homicides and "the most aggressive agenda" on affordability, the campaign said.
Raman joins more than two dozen candidates, including former reality star Spencer Pratt and nonprofit leader Adam Miller, in a race for a city of nearly 4 million, ballot filings show.
With the June 2, 2026 primary and a potential November runoff looming, political consultants said the crowded field makes an outright majority unlikely and will extend the campaign through November.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the race as an embattled incumbent story, emphasizing governance failures and public dissatisfaction through word choices (e.g., "suffer fallout," "on the defensive"), source selection (investigative LA Times pieces, critics and consultants), and quote placement — spotlighting opponents' critiques while presenting Bass’s defenses as counterpoints.
Sources (5)
FAQ
Nithya Raman is a Los Angeles City Councilmember elected in 2020 as the first with Democratic Socialists of America support, defeating an incumbent after 17 years. She is an urban planner, former Time’s Up leader, focused on tenant protections, homelessness, and has ties to YIMBY housing advocates.
Raman cites rising housing costs, a homelessness crisis, fallout from the January 2025 Palisades Fire that killed 12, budget decisions based on politics rather than middle-class needs, and the need for big changes in city management.
Bass campaign adviser Douglas Herman criticized Raman's record on homeless encampments, defending Bass's achievements including a 60-year low in homicides, sustained decrease in street homelessness, and aggressive affordability agenda.
The primary election is on June 2, 2026; if no candidate gets a majority, a runoff is on November 3, 2026. Raman filed hours before the noon deadline on February 7, 2026.
Besides Raman and incumbent Karen Bass, candidates include former reality star Spencer Pratt, nonprofit/tech leader Adam Miller, community organizer Rae Huang, and others like Asaad Alnajjar and Tish Hyman.
History
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