Raman cites 49% drop in homelessness in her bid to unseat Bass

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman is challenging incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the mayoral election. Raman frames the contest as a choice between the existing city government and a new approach focused on specific outcomes. She argues that the current leadership has failed to improve essential services.

In an interview with La Opinión, Raman stated that managing the city’s problems requires energy but is a privilege. She described her motivation as a desire to preserve Los Angeles as a place of opportunity. Raman noted that she moved to the United States as a child and later attended Harvard and MIT. She was the first South Asian woman elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020.

Raman criticized Bass for leaving the city during two major fire events. She said Bass traveled out of the country during the Palisades fires despite warnings. Raman also said Bass left for a President Obama event in Chicago after fires started in Boyle Heights. Raman questioned why Bass remained away for a full day while a warehouse burned. She noted that Bass told Latino residents the smoke was not a health risk, which Raman said contradicted public health recommendations.

The council member pointed to 30,000 broken streetlights and unpaved streets as evidence of poor management. She cited a lack of transparency in the administration’s homelessness programs. Raman said the city spent 400 million dollars on the Inside Safe program last year. Despite that spending, the number of people living on the street increased. Raman contrasted that figure with her own district, where the homeless population dropped by 49 percent.

Raman accused the political establishment of taking voters for granted. She said the current administration does not work as hard as residents do to improve their lives. She argued that city services have worsened since Bass took office. Raman listed street lighting, sidewalks, and emergency services as areas that are not good enough. She said she wants a city hall that works for every resident.

Bass has questioned Raman’s connection to Los Angeles, calling her an outsider. Raman responded by saying Los Angeles is a city of immigrants. She said Bass is the only person who has questioned if she is sufficiently angelino to run for office. Raman claimed that voters want a leader who loves the city and serves them better. She said this message has resonated with voters across the city.

Raman said Bass is running a negative campaign because she cannot rely on her own record. She accused Bass of trying to instill fear in voters about what will happen if Raman wins. Raman said Bass is portraying an immigrant as a stranger in a city built by immigrants. She said her own campaign has been focused on proposals and joy.

Raman said she met with 300 young people at UCLA on the day before the election. They prepared to knock on doors in nearby neighborhoods. Raman said the young people are motivated by a vision of an affordable Los Angeles. She said she also appeared on the Don Cheto radio program to discuss recovering trust in the city. Raman believes Latino and young voters will decide the election. She urged those groups to go to the polls and make their voices heard.