The Democrat will face her one-time ally, LA’s incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, in the November run-off after earning 28.6% of the vote to Pratt’s 25.8%.
“I’m incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles,” Raman said. “Now our fight for a healthier, safer, more affordable, and more joyful Los Angeles continues.”
Raman executed the element of surprise early on when she entered the LA mayoral race in February, just hours before the deadline and after she had already endorsed Bass’ re-election campaign.
Here’s what to know about Raman as she makes her bid to lead the nearly four million residents that make up California’s largest city.
Raman went on to unexpectedly defeat incumbent council member David Ryu, who had been endorsed by Hillary Clinton and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“Nithya Raman is about to show us just how progressive Los Angeles really is,” read a headline from the Los Angeles Times in the weeks after her victory.
This time, Raman will be facing a long-planned effort from Bass, who has significant backing in the form of endorsements from former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
During the race, Bass has accused Raman of being inexperienced, arguing she has “struggled” on the City Council.
Raman defended her tenure during a televised interview, arguing that council districts have hit up against the limits of the city.
Christian Grose, a professor of Political Science at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, tells TIME that Raman’s inexperience with major political contests could be both a strength and weakness.
Bass’ popularity has suffered following the wildfires that devastated parts of southern California early last year.
Raman has also been critical of the LA Mayor’s office response.
A poll released in April by UCLA showed that 49% of participants had an unfavorable view of the sitting Mayor.
Raman is a progressive who has drawn comparisons to the NYC Mayor
“The issue for me as a person who is deeply progressive, as someone who believes in the power of government to do good things and to make our lives better, my goal is to ensure that you, as a resident of Los Angeles, and every resident of Los Angeles, feels like the government is working for them,” she said in an April interview with Pod Save America.
Grose explains that the candidates have some alignment as “they're both running from the left.”
Raman has said she would issue an executive directive as LA Mayor to speed up housing approval and develop a citywide self-certification program to expedite building permits.
Mamdani ran his campaign largely on affordability, placing the New York City housing crisis at the center of his platform.
Housing and homelessness is another key issue in Los Angeles, with voters expressing a keenness for it to be tackled.
As such, the debate surrounding how best to approach the matter has remained central to Raman’s platform.
Raman is a Trump critic but says she would work with the President
Raman has been a vocal critic of the Trump Administration’s immigration-related operations in Los Angeles, which last year saw him deploy the National Guard without approval or request from the city’s leadership.
Some of the measures she’s advocated for include banning ICE agents from being able to “hide their faces and conduct operations without identification” and requiring LAPD officers to “verify the identity of any individual claiming to be a law enforcement officer.”
“When Trump’s draconian policies have caused devastating harm to our immigrant community, elected officials in LA have simply not stepped up to protect residents in the way that we all deserve,” a statement from her campaign website reads.
“Spencer is using the Trump playbook,” she said in early May. “Incendiary language, fearmongering, and political theater meant to divide and distract us. Solving our city’s homelessness crisis, improving public safety, and making this city affordable requires serious leadership, not stunts.”
“Mayor Mamdani and Governor [Kathy] Hokul in New York are actively engaging with the Trump Administration to protect their residents,” she said, referring to the Democratic leadership in Trump’s birthplace. “I want that in my leadership, and if I'm elected mayor, that's what I will do.”
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