Meet Nithya Raman, the Kerala-born Democratic leader leading in Los Angeles mayoral race

Kerala-born Nithya Raman will be the first Indian-American Mayor of Los Angeles If elected in the November 3 polls. As per reports, Raman is maintaining a lead over her former political ally and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race after a fiery televised pre-poll debate.

Who is Nithya Raman?  

Born in Kerala on July 28, 1981, Raman moved to the United States at the age of six. Raman began her political career with SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition which addresses local homelessness. Her work led her to historic victory, becoming the first person to oust a sitting LA councillor in 17 years. 

Educational qualifications 

Raman earned a bachelor’s degree in political theory from Harvard University and went on to complete a master’s degree in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Raman’s political journey 

Before relocating to Los Angeles in 2014, the 44-year-old spent time in India, where she founded Transparent Chennai, a non-profit research organisation that used data and community organising to advocate for underserved communities in Chennai. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked for the city administrative officer. In 2017, she founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, a homelessness outreach non-profit organisation.

Raman entered electoral politics in 2020 with a campaign focused heavily on homelessness. She went on to win a Los Angeles City Council seat, defeating a candidate backed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. 

Is Nithya Raman leading in Los Angeles mayoral race? 

Raman is leading in Los Angeles mayoral race. As per the survey conducted by  Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California, Raman led by 11 points over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.  The survey, conducted between September 15 and 20, found 39 per cent of voters favouring Raman for the Los Angeles Mayor post, compared with 28 per cent for Bass. Whereas almost one-third of the surveyed voters were undecided.

On Wednesday, a day after the debate, prediction market Kalshi put Raman’s odds of winning in the mayoral election at 56 per cent, compared with 45 per cent for Bass. Citing rising homelessness in Los Angeles “despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent”, Raman said a vote for her would help build a “city that’s functional, that’s affordable and where people are welcomed here to build their dreams once again. 

 

“Did the residents of Boyle Heights have your number, Karen?” Raman asked the incumbent mayor in a post on X. “In a city of 3.9 million people, you shouldn’t need the mayor’s cell phone number to get help,” the post reads. “The question I’ve heard over and over across the city: “Where is our mayor?” she asserted.  

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