Who is Nithya Raman? Kerala-born urban planner who wants to become mayor of Los Angeles | Today’s news
Kerala-born Indian-American politician, urban planner and Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman has emerged as one of the frontrunners in the race to become the next mayor of Los Angeles.
At 44, Raman is trying to build on her growing political profile after narrowly securing second place in the city’s mayoral primary.
Early life and education
Born in Kerala, Raman moved to the United States with her family when she was six years old and grew up in Louisiana.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in political theory from Harvard University and then a master’s degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Before entering politics, Raman worked in urban planning and community advocacy, focusing on housing and homelessness issues in Los Angeles.
A historic political breakthrough
Raman first won election to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, defeating incumbent Councilman David Ryu in a result widely described as a political upset.
Her victory made her the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian person elected to the Los Angeles City Council.
She was re-elected to a second term in 2024 and currently represents District 4.
Raman is also one of the four board members associated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
Campaign promises and priorities
Raman’s mayoral campaign has a strong focus on affordability, housing, homelessness and infrastructure.
Its main priorities include:
-Expanding affordable housing in Los Angeles.
-Improving services for homeless people.
-Accelerate climate change action and sustainability goals.
-Investment in public infrastructure and transport.
-Reform homelessness programs that he says have been mismanaged.
-Make Los Angeles more affordable for working families.
Her campaign presents her background as an urban planner as evidence that she can tackle the long-term structural problems facing the city.
According to her campaign, Raman has prioritized housing production, homelessness services and climate initiatives during her time on the council.
Criticism and political challenges
Raman’s progressive politics attracted both strong support and sharp criticism.
Opponents have often attacked her previous calls to cut police spending, portraying her as too progressive for a city struggling with crime and public safety concerns.
Mayor Karen Bass criticized Raman’s approach to city government, while Spencer Pratt attempted to label her as part of a political establishment that failed to address Los Angeles’ challenges.
But supporters say Raman offers an alternative focused on policies focused on affordability, housing and long-term urban planning.
As Los Angeles heads toward a likely November runoff, Raman’s rise from local councilman to mayoral candidate represents one of the city’s most significant political events this election cycle.
Read also | Los Angeles mayoral election: Nithya Raman surges to second place
Nithya Raman fought her way to second place in the race for mayor of Los Angeles
Indian-American politician Nithya Raman has moved into second place in the Los Angeles mayoral race, putting her on track against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a November runoff.
Bass leads the nonpartisan contest with 34.68% of the vote, while Raman climbed to 27.12%, narrowly edging out Republican reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, who has 26.69%, according to the latest Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder count.
The primary election was held on January 2nd and approximately 80% of the ballots have been counted so far. Raman, 44, erased an early eight-point deficit on Pratt when the mail-in ballots were processed and moved up by more than 3,000 votes.
Under Los Angeles election rules, if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the top two advance to the November runoff. With Bass well below that threshold, Raman appears poised to challenge the incumbent in a closely watched mayoral race.
