After previously endorsing Karen Bass, Nithya Raman has entered the Los Angeles mayoral race on the promise of targeting the homelessness crisis and strengthening tenant rights
Nithya Raman made a splashy entrance into the Los Angeles mayoral race, entering her bid for mayor with only three hours left until the filing deadline. Once a supporter of Mayor Karen Bass, Raman now says she is the right fit to lead Los Angeles.
Raman, 44, currently serves as the Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 4th district, which stretches from Silverlake to Reseda. She is a member of the Democratic Party and received support from the Democratic Socialists of America in her run for councilmember in 2020.
In her pursuit of the city council seat, Raman was the first person to unseat an incumbent council member in almost two decades. She ran with the promise of stronger tenant protections and a more effective and compassionate strategy to address homelessness.
She now chairs the council’s Housing and Homelessness committee, where she has spearheaded legislation to get Los Angeles patrons off the streets.
Housing has long been a top issue for the urban planner, aligning with groups like YIMBY, a pro-housing advocacy movement. She said her decision to run for mayor comes after mounting frustrations over the past two years.
I’m ready to lead this city with urgency, accountability, and ambition equal to the moment. I hope you’ll join me. https://t.co/4McKZ1i76L pic.twitter.com/GrQQxGIWn1
— Nithya Raman (@nithyavraman) February 11, 2026
As she has pushed for solutions, such as a special Bureau inside the Los Angeles Housing Department to oversee their approximate $1 billion in annual investments, Raman said she’s received pushback from a city that is “moving too slow.”
“The city is not doing what it can do. We are not making progress — it feels like we’re falling behind,” Raman told KTLA.
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Raman pointed to her own district as an example of how these issues can be tackled successfully. According to the office of the 4th district, through Raman’s leadership, 500 people have been moved from the streets to interim housing, with the district more than tripling access to shelter beds throughout the area.
Previously, Raman co-founded the nonprofit SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition in 2017, which provides direct aid and case management.
Since announcing her bid for mayor, Raman has been gaining attention for her apparent turn against Bass after previously endorsing her reelection less than two weeks prior. The current mayor was a major supporter of Raman’s 2020 campaign and was featured in a video ad for the candidate.
An editorial from the L.A. Sentinel, the largest Black newspaper in the city, labeled Raman a traitor.
“Nithya Raman betrayed Mayor Bass and, quite simply, stabbed her in the back,” Danny Bakewell Jr. wrote.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman talks with Mayor Karen Bass on Feb. 10 at Hazeltine Park in Sherman OaksCredit: (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, Raman shuts down the sentiment that she double-crossed her former ally, insisting her focus is on what is best for the city of Los Angeles.
“I don’t think we should be talking about the future of Los Angeles in the contexts of friendships and betrayal,” Raman said to journalist Conan Nolan in response. “We need to talk about the issues that are facing us and how we can fix them and how we can overcome them.”
The race for the next mayor of Los Angeles will take place on June 2. If no candidate receives a majority vote, a runoff election will be held on Nov. 3.
Whoever is crowned victor of the race will face steep challenges ahead, including rebuilding efforts following the Palisades and Eaton fires, the ongoing homelessness crisis and the 2028 Summer Olympics.