Nithya Raman challenges Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor

City Councilmember Nithya Raman is running for mayor of Los Angeles to replace Karen Bass, arguing that the current administration has failed to maintain basic city services. Raman spoke with La Opinión the night before the election while attending a Day of the Dead celebration in the Union-Hoover neighborhood.

Raman, who was elected to the City Council in 2020 as the first South Asian woman on the Los Angeles City Council, described the campaign as a major challenge. She said the process required intense energy but allowed her to discuss neighborhood concerns with residents across the city. She moved to the United States as a child and holds degrees from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The candidate criticized Bass for leaving the city during two major fire emergencies. Raman stated that Bass traveled out of the country before the Palisades fires despite warnings about wildfire risks. During the Boyle Heights fires, Bass left town to attend an event for former President Barack Obama in Chicago. Raman noted that Bass returned the following day. She added that Bass told Latino residents the smoke was not a health danger, a claim Raman said contradicted public health recommendations on air quality.

Raman pointed to specific infrastructure failures under Bass’s leadership, including 30,000 broken streetlights and unpaved streets. She also cited the lack of garbage collection and the handling of the homeless population. The councilmember said the city spent 400 million dollars on the Inside Safe program last year, yet the number of people living on the streets increased. In her own district, she reported that the street population fell by 49 percent.

Bass called Raman an outsider who did not know Los Angeles. Raman responded that the city is built by immigrants and that she is the only candidate questioning her local credentials. She argued that the political power base in Los Angeles takes voters for granted and does not work hard enough to earn their trust. She said municipal services, including emergency response and sidewalks, have worsened since Bass took office.

Raman said she plans to oppose the current status quo and restore confidence in City Hall. She stated that she wants a mayor who serves every resident and ensures taxpayer money produces concrete results. She told Latino and young voters to participate in the election to make their voices heard.