Nithya Raman lost the endorsement of an ally that had supported her in her two previous City Council races. Democratic Socialists of America (DSA-LA) has decided not to support any candidate, while Raman was also attempting to distance herself from the controversial organization—though without a clear break.
After City Councilmember Nithya Raman decided at the last minute to run against her former ally, Mayor Karen Bass, the group held a vote on whether to reopen its endorsement process, which it had previously closed without backing a candidate.
Raman and DSA-LA had experienced disagreements in recent months, understood as part of the candidate’s efforts to appeal to broader sectors of the community. Raman attended the organization’s meeting last week but did not make any comments.
The left-wing organization, which has around 5,000 members, is known for running strong grassroots campaigns, including canvassing, door-knocking, and phone banking. In addition to Raman, three other DSA-backed politicians currently sit on the 15-member City Council.
Karen Bass: A Weak Lead
Meanwhile, Mayor Karen Bass placed first in the initial poll released over the weekend.
Bass was supported by 25% of voters, while Nithya Raman received 17%, and conservative reality TV figure Spencer Pratt came in third with 14%, according to a poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.
Although the gap is only seven points, just over 50% of respondents expressed a negative opinion of Bass, largely due to her handling of the fires that hit Pacific Palisades last year.
Among Latino voters, Bass holds a wider margin: 29% support her, compared to 9% for Raman.
Despite Bass’ lead, the poll is “borderline catastrophic” for her because of the weak field of candidates, said Dan Schnur, a politics professor at USC, UC Berkeley, and Pepperdine.
“That she’s having this much trouble against such a little-known field of opponents bodes very poorly for her,” Schnur said. “The only thing saving her right now is that top-tier candidates chose not to enter the race.”
Former City Councilmember Mike Bonin, who leads the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State L.A., said that after the initial shock of Raman entering the race, the campaign has slowed down.
“Candidates are raising money and doing their due diligence, but it feels like a quiet, subdued race,” he told The Times. “This poll reflects that.”
“I am very grateful that our campaign to make our city more affordable is resonating with many Angelenos,” Raman said in a statement.
Key Issues
Among the most important issues identified by voters, Raman outperformed Bass in only one category, while Spencer Pratt led in two:
Building affordable housing: Raman 28%, Bass 26%
In other areas, Bass led:
Fixing infrastructure: Bass 28%, Raman 18%
Addressing homelessness: Bass 31%, Raman 19%
Spencer Pratt led in:
Cutting waste, fraud, and corruption: Pratt 33%, Bass 9%, Raman 9%
Crime and public safety: Pratt 27%, Bass 14%, Raman 5%
This poll offers the first snapshot of voter preferences ahead of the June 2 primary. If no candidate surpasses 50%, the top two will advance to a runoff in November.
About a quarter of voters remain undecided. The survey, conducted among 840 likely voters between March 9 and 15, also found support for other candidates: leftist Rae Huang at 8% and tech entrepreneur Adam Miller at 6%.
