Los Angeles mayoral primary dust has settled as two Democratic candidates will face off in November. Last election saw Karen Bass defeating fellow party member, billionaire Rick Caruso, becoming the first African American female mayor of Los Angeles. This year, she will compete against former ally and Indian-American opponent Nithya Raman. The election battle between the two has already begun this week.
On Tuesday (9th), Bass held a press conference and met with supporters, expressing confidence in winning again in November. In the recent primary, she led with 34% of the votes, surpassing Raman by 5.7 percentage points. Bass summarized her achievements over the past three years, stating she has made changes and progress that other city leaders have failed to achieve for decades.
Bass emphasized the differences between herself and Raman, saying, “The contrast is clear, we have been driving the transformation of Los Angeles; while some, including this councilwoman, are striving to regress Los Angeles, supporting the status quo.”
She listed her accomplishments, such as addressing homeless and street camping issues, simplifying residential unit construction approval processes, and addressing public safety concerns, including reducing the homeless population for two consecutive years. Bass also pointed out the obstacles Raman has posed to her work, stating, “While I work to move people from camps into indoors, Nithya Raman voted to allow camping near schools.”
As the incumbent mayor, Bass received less than 35% of the votes. Analysts believe the election is actually not in her favor. Despite receiving support from Governor Newsom, former Vice President Harris, former House Speaker Pelosi, and some politically influential unions, her handling of last year’s Los Angeles wildfires and the perceived unprofessionalism of the fire chief she appointed have provided her opponents with ammunition to criticize her leadership.
Raman joined the race, ultimately winning the primary, which surprised many voters. ABC7 reported that during her first post-primary press conference, Raman sought to garner support from fans of television personality Spencer Pratt. Many in this group were dissatisfied with Mayor Bass’s performance during last year’s wildfires. Analysts suggest that if Pratt withdraws, some dissatisfied supporters of Bass may turn to Raman.
Raman criticized Bass’s leadership, stating that residents see “a city that cannot even perform the most basic functions yet still asks us to trust her to solve more complex problems, such as homeless issues and the affordable housing crisis.”
Born in America, Raman is considered a “progressive Democrat” and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) like the newly elected New York City Mayor Mamdani. The DSA, founded under the guidance of Marxist Michael Harrington, is America’s largest left-wing organization.
Raman’s policy platform on her campaign website includes providing Los Angeles residents with affordable housing, reforming the city, protecting citizens from immigration enforcement and landlord harassment, ending decades of money and power-dominated politics in the city, making decisions that are most beneficial to the citizens, and making entrepreneurship and business easier.
In 2020, Raman advocated for defunding the police. However, she has recently changed her stance, stating that the police force should be maintained at its current size. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has already reduced its staff by 1,400 people compared to 2020.
Public opinion often draws comparisons between Raman and Mamdani. The latter implemented a “wealth tax” and high welfare policies, causing small and medium-sized businesses in New York City to consider moving due to unbearable tax and labor cost pressures.
What are the differences between Bass and Raman? Dan Schnur, a political communications lecturer at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Berkeley, told ABC7 that Bass is no longer the progressive candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral race, in fact, she is more conservative than Raman; facing Raman will be more challenging for Bass than when she faced billionaire Caruso four years ago.
As Bass and Raman attack each other, Spencer Pratt, who has admitted defeat, posted on social media that Angelenos now have to choose between “Dumb and Dumber,” labeling both as “two failed communists,” and suggesting that “every problem plaguing Los Angeles will worsen, and the city will fall into a abyss.”