Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman addressed Pacific Palisades residents Sunday at a community open mic political forum, promising dedicated governance and transparent community involvement in ongoing fire recovery efforts.
The August 23 forum, hosted by the Palisades Recovery Coalition in the parking lot behind the Palisades Garden Café and PRC headquarters, brought together candidates for state, local and judicial offices and a crowd of more than 50 attendees. Raman was the sole L.A. mayoral contender present.
During her allotted five minutes of remarks, Raman focused on wildfire recovery and city accountability.
“I want to make sure that you have real governance here that can help recovery happen in an organized way—whether it’s securing funding for this area, whether it’s making sure that your property-tax dollars can go into the community,” Raman said.
Following opening remarks, the event transitioned into an informal session where residents spoke directly with candidates. Raman fielded questions on homelessness, anti-Semitism, disaster recovery and city services, defending her platform to those with whom she spoke.
“So many people here in the Palisades have felt like this mayor’s office has abandoned them,” Raman said, adding that her goal as mayor would be to restore trust in city government during the rebuilding process.
“People here have faced unimaginable tragedy—they’ve lost faith in government, they’ve lost faith in our mayor’s office and they’ve lost faith in the city of Los Angeles,” said Raman. “My humble goal is to become a mayor who restores their faith in a city that stands with them on the tough road to rebuilding and recovery.”
Raman said she would look to groups like the Palisades Recovery Coalition to formalize feedback in a transparent manner to ensure Palisadians maintain a voice in recovery planning.
Candidates competing for California’s 24th State Senate District seat also pitched their credentials to voters.
Brian Goldsmith, who grew up in nearby Brentwood, emphasized his connection to the area and advocated for a staff member dedicated exclusively to recovery in the Palisades and Malibu.
“It’s extraordinarily important,” Goldsmith said. “Even as the rest of the world moves on, whoever gets elected needs to keep this community in front of their mind. They need to have one dedicated staff person who is focused on nothing but Palisades and Malibu rebuilding.”
His opponent, John Erickson, cited his 15 years in local government and called for stronger coordination among state, county and city agencies.
“The state, the county, the city—we all need to work together, because government right now is failing all of you,” said Erickson. “Government needs experience.”
The event also featured candidates Deborah Klein Lopez and Ted Nordblum, who are running to represent California’s 42nd Assembly District, as well as candidates for California Superior Court seats.
Residents expressed appreciation for the open-dialogue format, noting it offered direct access beyond typical campaign presentations.
“It’s very helpful,” said Cristine Card, a resident of Pacific Palisades. “It was important that we talk to Nithya Raman—we have a lot of questions about her positions.”
Hugh Slavitt, a Palisadian displaced by the fires, showed up with similar expectations to cut through political chatter.
“I’ve been going through a year and a half of dealing with dysfunctional government that either punts or kicks the can down the road,” said Slavitt. “I’m here trying to ask questions to get these politicians’ attention.”
Maryam Zar, founder and president of the Palisades Recovery Coalition, organized the series to offer residents direct access to prospective leaders.
“Our goal is simple: Create a space for honest dialogue, thoughtful listening and meaningful civic engagement as our community rebuilds,” said Zar.
The August 23 event was the second of four planned forums, following the inaugural event on July 26. Palisades Recovery Coalition will host the additional events before the November election—on September 27 and October 18, both at 11 a.m., at 15233 La Cruz Drive.