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DEEGAN ON LA—-It feels like Councilmember Nithya Raman (CD-4) has always had her sights set on becoming Mayor of Los Angeles. Her first campaign’s slogan was “Nithya For LA” (not “Nithya for CD-4”). That was in 2020 when she was a political unknown. Six years later she is now running against her onetime ally Mayor Bass.
If she wins the race for mayor it may benefit the Socialists for LA which could be just the political punch in the face needed to awaken LA to dealing honestly about its problems and alternative solutions for its future. But, is Raman the right one of a number of Socialists for that position…is she the right person to become mayor? That is what voters will have to decide as they learn more about her and her character.
The slow march toward Socialist rule is dramatically advancing. Already, a handful of agents for change Socialists (Raman CD-4, Eunisses Hernandez CD-1, Hugo Soto-Martinez CD-13, and Imelda Padilla CD-6) have been elected to the City Council. LA is governed by a “weak mayor” system with the real power in the hands of the City Council.
The February surprise is how Raman presents herself and her character. She has allied herself with the mayor on many issues where they agreed but now, as an opportunist, she is mounting a last-minute run against Bass.
Four days after her surprise announcement, Raman flip-flopped on the LAPD. Her arc of positions on public safety has curved from a “defund the police” position when she entered her first city council race to a we need more cops position now that she’s running for mayor. Strengthening LAPD aligns exactly with the stated position of Bass.
Raman emphatically endorsed Bass for Mayor on January 27 () and has called her an “icon”. Twelve days later, on February 7, she announced her intention to unseat the mayor.
On the day she announced she was opposing her former mentor she sharpened her rhetorical knives telling the LA Times that “I have deep respect for Mayor Bass…(but) Los Angeles is at a breaking point”. Ancient Greek and Roman tragedies have been constructed on similarly cold-blooded maneuvers. Brutus declared that he loved Julius Caesar, but that he loved Rome more.
The Raman flip flops and waffle may have been spurred by the sudden drop out from contention by a trio of strong opponents to Bass…or it could just be who she is.
Austin Buetner left the race due to family issues, Rick Caruso who went so far as to reconsider his earlier announcement that he was exiting the race, and Lindsey Horvath confirmed that she will run for reelection as a County Supervisor.
A vacuum was created and Raman made her move…two hours before the filing deadline.
Caught in the crossfire is Rae Chen Huang, a Socialist that is also running for mayor, who may now become marginalized. Before Raman announced, Huang was the furthest left candidate to challenge centrist Bass. Her important voice may have trouble breaking through.
If Raman were to win her long shot bid to unseat a tenured political pro, it would be a victory for the Socialists, but not necessarily the people and businesses of Los Angeles that would need to make a major mind shift in accepting Raman and Socialist rule of Los Angeles.
A Raman victory would seriously stress the Overton Window, a political model that describes the range of policies that a majority of the population considers acceptable at a particular time.
Signs of a crack in the coalition of Socialists have already emerged. On the day that Raman announced her run Socialist Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (CD-13) reinforced his support and endorsement for Bass, saying “It’s been wonderful working with the mayor, and I say that genuinely…working with someone, it’s about having transparent conversations, dialogue and working through the issues. That’s the relationship I have with the mayor. I usually don’t change my endorsement,” ( he said. “Once I’m with somebody, I’m with somebody.”
Raman has now said “I’m no longer with Bass”.
(Tim Deegan is a longtime civic activist and columnist whose Deegan on LA feature has been a staple of CityWatchLA for over a decade. With a focus on Los Angeles city politics and neighborhood issues, Deegan brings thoughtful analysis and grassroots perspective to every column. His work highlights the voices of local communities and the impact of City Hall decisions on everyday Angelenos. He can be reached at [email protected].)
