The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Councilmember Nithya Raman for mayor Wednesday, giving the challenger a boost of left-wing, door-knocking energy as she challenges incumbent Karen Bass in the Nov. 3 election.
The endorsement came after Raman secured more than 60% of the vote in an online election among the more than 6,000 DSA members in the Los Angeles region, the group said. With nearly 1,500 votes cast, the tally was 937 to endorse Raman and 484 against, with 52 abstentions, according to a screenshot of the vote viewed by The Times.
The DSA is known for espousing controversial positions including defunding the police and abolishing prisons — stances that have drawn scorn from conservatives and put it at odds with the Democratic Party establishment.
The group has notched major electoral victories across the country over the last year, however, most significantly with the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York.
“The growth of DSA has shown a clear movement to the left nationally,” said Sara Sadhwani, a professor of politics at Pomona College. “A DSA endorsement will be shorthand for how to define Nithya Raman as a candidate both for the establishment in Los Angeles and for Republicans nationally.”
Raman, herself a DSA member since before her first run for council in 2020, will top a slate of nine candidates backed by DSA-LA in local and federal races Nov. 3.
“Our base of left-leaning demo socialists are fed up with the status quo and really want to see a significant change in how the city is run,” said Tal Levy, a member of DSA-LA’s electoral politics committee, which voted 3 to 2 to recommend the endorsement of Raman before the organization-wide vote.
Levy noted concerns about Raman’s endorsement, conceding she has been a less reliable vote on DSA issues than three other DSA-backed council members in L.A.
“That said, I think there is near-unanimity that she is the better candidate in the race in the general election,” he said.
In a statement, Raman said she was “proud that DSA-LA is joining our broad coalition of Angelenos working to make Los Angeles a city that works — and where everyone can afford to build a life.”
Bass campaign representative Alex Stack declined to comment directly on the endorsement, although he criticized Raman for her stances on public safety and homelessness.
Michael Trujillo, a Democratic political consultant who plans to work on an independent expenditure group supporting the incumbent mayor, suggested the DSA endorsement may be more curse than blessing.
“As more normal Democrats learn about their weird uncle DSA at the dinner table the less and less they’re liking them,” Trujillo said. “Democrats are finding that their weird uncle is belligerent, definitely not normal and has wacky ideas on how the world and cities should operate.”
Raman was endorsed by the Los Angeles chapter of DSA in her two council runs as well, and she has passed major legislation supported by the group during her time on the council, including strengthening renter protections and reforming the city’s rent stabilization ordinance for the first time in decades.
Raman and the DSA have also had numerous public disagreements that have led some in the group to question whether she would be a good candidate to endorse for such an important role in local government.
Her approval of budgets that increased police spending as well as her move earlier this year to revise Measure ULA — also known as the “mansion tax” — to offer an exemption to developers of multifamily and commercial projects drew the ire of many in the group.
Her biggest split with the group came after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis.
DSA released a statement saying the attack “was not unprovoked.” Raman called the group’s statement “unacceptably devoid of empathy for communities in Israel.”
Then, in early 2024, Raman was censured by DSA for seeking and accepting an endorsement from Democrats for Israel-Los Angeles, a liberal Zionist group.
Raman was the first L.A. elected official backed by DSA to win office. Since her election, the group has endorsed three more candidates for City Council who have won: Hugo Soto-Martínez, Ysabel Jurado and Eunisses Hernandez. All three of those council members have endorsed Bass.
In addition to Raman, the DSA slate for the Nov. 3 election includes Marissa Roy, a candidate for city attorney, and Estuardo Mazariegos, who is running for council in South L.A.
The DSA, which dubbed its list of endorsements the “Shake Up LA” slate, said it will also back Angela Gonzales-Torres, who is challenging Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) in the 34th Congressional District runoff.
The group endorsed two candidates — Nolan Southerland and Mike Van Gorder — for Burbank City Council, and Stephen Post for West Hollywood City Council.
In local school board races, the DSA has endorsed Estefany Castañeda in the Centinela Valley Union High School District and Yaritza González in the Inglewood Unified School District.