Who is Nithya Raman? Kerala-born politician dubbed ‘LA's Zohran Mamdani’ leads Los Angeles mayoral race

Nithya Raman is an Indian-American politician serving on the Los Angeles City Council. She represents District 4 and became the first Asian-American woman and first South Asian elected to the council. She is now the leading left-leaning challenger to Mayor Karen Bass.

The comparison with Zohran Mamdani rests on shared political and personal features. Both belong to the Democratic Socialists of America. Both are millennials born abroad to South Asian parents. Their campaigns also used social media effectively. Raman was born in Kerala and moved to the United States at age six.

The comparison has limits. Los Angeles political experts told The New York Times that Mamdani’s political skill and charisma were stronger. Raman says her political profile is different. Experts argue that a Raman victory would come mainly from opposition to Bass, not from being a West Coast version of Mamdani.

Raman held a notable advantage over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the survey cited by the article. Conducted between 15 and 20 September, it found 39% of voters favoring Raman for mayor, compared with 28% favoring Bass. That gave Raman an 11-point lead among the named choices.

The undecided vote is the race’s biggest uncertainty. Almost one-third of surveyed voters had not chosen a candidate. This means the early lead does not settle the election. Undecided voters could still shift the balance before the 3 November mayoral race.

Raman’s position is therefore strong but not secure. She has become the most prominent left-leaning challenger to Bass, while attacking the incumbent over city leadership and her absence during the January fire. The final result will depend partly on how undecided voters respond to both campaigns.

If Raman defeated Bass, Los Angeles would elect its first Indian-American mayor. That would be a historic change in representation for the second-largest city in the United States. It would also move Raman from the City Council into the city’s top elected office.

Her stated priorities point to a different governing emphasis. Raman has focused on compassionate services for people experiencing homelessness, more affordable housing, and faster progress on climate goals. She has also proposed stronger audits of homelessness programs, better performance measures for department heads, and an office of tenant protection.

The change would not simply be symbolic. Raman argues that Los Angeles is leaderless and struggles with basic services, including streetlights, potholes, and timely 911 responses. Her election would therefore represent both a historic milestone and a mandate to improve city management. The article does not specify which proposals could be enacted first.

Raman’s proposals address both immediate services and longer-term city planning. She has prioritized compassionate services for people experiencing homelessness, building more affordable housing, and moving more urgently toward Los Angeles’s climate goals. These priorities connect housing needs with broader city management.

Her concrete tools include more audits of homelessness programs and improved performance measures for city department heads. She has also promised to create an office of tenant protection. On infrastructure, she points to basic failures such as unrepaired streetlights, potholes, and slow 911 responses, arguing that city government must handle these services more effectively.

The article presents these proposals as part of a wider argument that Los Angeles is leaderless and has a broken government. Raman’s approach would use oversight, measurable departmental performance, and dedicated tenant support to improve delivery. It does not provide detailed costs, timelines, or implementation plans for each proposal.

The Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, is a left-wing political organization and movement. The article identifies Raman as a member and describes her as a Democratic Socialist. It also says Mamdani belongs to DSA, making the organization central to comparisons between them.

An endorsement signals organized support from the local DSA chapter. It can help a candidate connect with socialist activists and reinforce a left-leaning identity. Raman received the Los Angeles chapter’s endorsement, but the national organization began reviewing whether that support should remain in place.

The endorsement therefore carries both political value and risk. A withdrawal could weaken Raman’s relationship with DSA activists and expose differences within the left. The national committee planned a 31 October meeting with Raman to assess her views on BDS and Gaza-related issues before deciding whether to rescind the endorsement.

The national Democratic Socialists of America is reviewing DSA-LA’s endorsement because of disagreements over Raman’s position on Israel and the Gaza conflict. Reports said some members believed she had not taken a sufficiently tough stance. The dispute has placed her support from the socialist organization under scrutiny.

A key issue is R22, a DSA resolution concerning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Members said DSA-LA had not asked Raman about her support for R22 before endorsing her. The national political committee therefore began reviewing the endorsement and sought clearer commitments.

The committee voted to work with DSA-LA on a 31 October meeting with Raman. It will assess her position on BDS and related Gaza issues. If she does not provide “clear and unequivocal commitments,” the national committee will vote on whether to rescind the endorsement. The article does not report the final decision.

The source does not describe the legal powers of the Los Angeles mayor or compare them with those of New York City’s mayor. It only identifies Bass as Los Angeles’s incumbent mayor and describes Raman’s proposals for city departments, housing, homelessness, climate goals, and services.

Using general civic knowledge, a mayor typically leads the executive branch of a city government, proposes or administers policies, oversees departments, and works with the city council and budget process. The precise balance varies by municipal charter. New York City and Los Angeles have different governing structures, so their mayors do not necessarily have identical authority.

The practical implication is that winning the Los Angeles mayoralty would give Raman significant executive responsibility, but not unlimited control. She would still need to work through city institutions and legal procedures. Because the article supplies no charter details, it cannot support a precise ranking of Los Angeles and New York mayoral power.