{"id":2612120,"date":"2026-06-08T18:01:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-know-about-nithya-raman-as-she-jockeys-for-spot-in-la-mayor-runoff\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T18:05:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:05:26","slug":"what-to-know-about-nithya-raman-as-she-jockeys-for-spot-in-la-mayor-runoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-know-about-nithya-raman-as-she-jockeys-for-spot-in-la-mayor-runoff\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about Nithya Raman as she jockeys for spot in LA mayor runoff"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhat-to-know-about-nithya-raman-as-she-jockeys-for-spot-in-la-mayor-runoff%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2612120&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Los Angeles Councilwoman Nithya Raman used a grassroots,low-profile campaign to place second in the city\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >open primary mayoral race<\/a>,overtaking reality TV personality Spencer Pratt late Sunday and positioning her to face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November runoff. While Pratt drew heavy online attention with AI-themed videos and Bass focused on defending her record, Raman has received comparatively less mainstream coverage as she emphasizes her progressive policy platform.<\/p>\n<p>Raman is a mother of two and a career urban planner who became involved in public policy through homelessness advocacy, including founding the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition in 2017.She has portrayed herself as an \u201coutsider\u201d candidate without a political machine, winning her first City council seat in 2020 and defeating incumbent David Ryu, then securing a majority in 2024. On the council, she has worked on issues including homelessness, environmental matters, and land use through her committee roles.<\/p>\n<p>Campaigning to unseat Bass from within the Democratic Party,Raman has criticized Bass over concerns such as high living costs,homelessness,and slow emergency responses to events including the January 2025 wildfires. Her platform includes actions like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-spent-nearly-20-billion-on-refugee-resettlement-in-just-two-years\/\" title=\"Biden Admin&#039;s Refugee Resettlement Costs Reach B in 2 Years\">intensive case management<\/a> for people experiencing homelessness, limiting local cooperation with ICE, expanding protections for tenants, strengthening sanctuary-city policies, and promoting broader unarmed public-safety responses.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents have argued Raman is too radical. Bass\u2019s team has accused her of allowing encampments near schools, opposing more police hiring, and being \u201cMIA\u201d on job-related issues involving Hollywood and on responding to ICE activity. Pratt has called Raman \u201cterrible,\u201d attacked her record on homelessness, and argued her approach misunderstands drug addiction among homeless people. In the primary, Bass held a firm lead while Raman and Pratt fought for the final spot, with vote-counting delays leading to extended scrutiny-particularly from Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who has supported Pratt.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/los-angeles\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1221\">Los Angeles <\/a>Councilwoman Nithya Raman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4598565\/spencer-pratt-falls-behind-nithya-raman-la-mayoral-race\/\">overtook<\/a> reality TV star <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/spencer-pratt\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"22652\">Spencer Pratt<\/a> on Sunday evening for second place in the city\u2019s open primary mayoral race, catapulting her to a position to face incumbent Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/karen-bass\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2491\">Karen Bass<\/a> in the November runoff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in an election that has received so much media attention, not much buzz has been focused on Raman. While Pratt has garnered millions of views online for his AI campaign videos and Bass has been pinned to defend her record in the media against her challengers, Raman has comparatively <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4559287\/la-mayor-nithya-raman-breakthrough-spencer-pratt-attack\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">flown under the legacy media radar<\/a> as she largely sticks to her left-wing policy points.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4598348\/benson-blasts-california-election-system-as-third-world-nonsense\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Benson blasts California\u00a0election system as \u2018third-world nonsense\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4598186\/pratt-questions-votes-counted-california-lead-over-nithya-raman\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spencer Pratt questions how votes get counted in California as lead over Nithya Raman shrinks<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4596705\/janeese-lewis-george-out-of-line-dc-voters-youth-curfew-poll\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Janeese Lewis George out of line with majority of DC voters on youth curfew: Poll<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4598778\/trump-calls-la-mayor-race-rigged-election-spencer-pratt-falls-final-votes-counted\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4598778\">TRUMP CALLS LA MAYOR RACE A \u2018RIGGED ELECTION\u2019 AFTER SPENCER PRATT FALLS BEHIND AS FINAL VOTES ARE COUNTED<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is what to know about Raman as she is likely to advance to take on Bass in the November general election.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-who-is-nithya-raman\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is Nithya Raman?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A mother of two and a career urban planner, Raman got her start in public policy by advocating to provide more resources and assistance for homeless people across LA. In 2017, she founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, which <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.selahnhc.org\/about-selah\">says<\/a> it is a \u201ccommunity-led response\u201d to homelessness in LA, helping the city\u2019s \u201cmost vulnerable neighbors.\u201d She also took part as a leader of the Hollywood #MeToo movement\u2019s group Time\u2019s Up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumna, who first won an LA City Council seat in 2020, also calls herself someone \u201ca complete outsider,\u201d with \u201cno political machine, no insider backing.\u201d The momentum from her grassroots campaign in her first City Council race helped her oust incumbent Councilman David Ryu in the 4th District, defeating him with 52.9% of the vote, compared to Ryu\u2019s 47.1%. She won again in 2024, taking the majority vote in the primary by 12.1 percentage points. LA\u2019s homelessness policy had been a major sticking point in her City Council elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the city council, she takes on policy responses to matters such as homelessness, environmental issues, and planning and land use through her <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cd4.lacity.gov\/meet-nithya\/\">committee<\/a> assignments.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-are-her-proposed-policies-and-platform\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are her proposed policies and platform?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her campaign to be LA\u2019s next mayor, Raman launched a progressive, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/todd-young-invites-a-primary-challenge-by-refusing-to-back-hegseth\/\" title=\"Todd Young Invites A ... Challenge By Refusing To Back Hegseth\">left-wing bid<\/a> to oust Bass from within the Democratic Party. She has hit Bass on the city\u2019s high cost of living, high rates of homelessness, and slow emergency response services, including to the wildfires of January 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Raman and Pratt have slammed Bass, who was out of LA when the fires started, for her <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4558427\/spencer-pratt-karen-bass-la-mayor-debate\/\">fire response<\/a> and the way her administration has run City Hall. On her website, Raman says that \u201cAngelenos know this city is not being led with the clarity or urgency this moment demands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can meet this moment with honesty and urgency,\u201d Raman\u2019s campaign website reads. \u201cWe can lower rents, protect tenants, clean our streets, house the homeless, support small businesses, keep people safe, and prepare for emergencies before they happen. We can fight for a bigger, more joyful future for LA. But that requires leadership willing to demand more than the status quo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Raman has run her platform on progressive <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nithyaforthecity.com\/homelessness\">policy ideas<\/a> such as providing \u201cintensive case management services\u201d to LA\u2019s homeless population, curbing local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, making LA \u201cthe strongest sanctuary city in the country,\u201d and expanding unarmed public safety responses across the city.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-have-her-opponents-said-about-her\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What have her opponents said about her?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite her lofty progressive goals, Raman\u2019s opponents have painted her as too radical for LA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bass spokesman Alex Stack said in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/state-watch\/5914564-bass-raman-runoff-homelessness\/\">Monday statement<\/a> that Raman is \u201can opponent who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops, yet is MIA on saving Hollywood jobs and fighting back when ICE invades LA.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pratt has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4559287\/la-mayor-nithya-raman-breakthrough-spencer-pratt-attack\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">called<\/a> Raman \u201cterrible\u201d and a \u201crandom city councilmember who\u2019s been a failure for six years.\u201d He has also ripped her for her stance on homelessness, painting her as a candidate who has no grasp on the homeless population\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-federal-gun-conviction-adds-new-wrinkle-to-fathers-reelection-bid\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden&#039;s federal gun conviction complicates his father&#039;s re... ...\">drug addiction issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4559287\/la-mayor-nithya-raman-breakthrough-spencer-pratt-attack\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">LA MAYOR HOPEFUL NITHYA RAMAN STRUGGLES TO BREAK THROUGH AMID SPENCER PRATT ONSLAUGHT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her, and we can find some of those people she\u2019s going to offer treatment for. \u2026 She\u2019s going to get stabbed in the neck,\u201d Pratt said in a May mayoral debate. \u201cThese people do not want a bed. They want fentanyl or supermeth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Bass has solidified herself a spot in the November general election with 34.7% of the vote, Raman and Pratt are battling it out for the last spot with 27.1% and 26.7% of the vote, respectively. Because of the way California\u2019s elections are tallied, it has taken multiple days for the results to come in. The early vote favored Pratt, while Raman took the lead on Sunday evening. The system has brought <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4598778\/trump-calls-la-mayor-race-rigged-election-spencer-pratt-falls-final-votes-counted\/\">intense scrutiny <\/a>from Republicans, including President<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\"> Donald Trump<\/a>, who supports Pratt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Los Angeles Councilwoman Nithya Raman surged past Spencer Pratt to claim second place in the open mayoral primary, setting up a November runoff against Mayor Karen Bass<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2612121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nithya-e1780953349792.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[37666,45410,81038,79287],"class_list":["post-2612120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-california-politics","tag-democratic-candidates","tag-los-angeles-mayoral-runoff","tag-nithya-raman"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nithya-e1780953349792.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612120"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612124,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612120\/revisions\/2612124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}