Will Nithya Raman Become Los Angeles’ Mamdani?

Article by Kumar Published on: 4:21 am, 29 October 2026

Nithya Raman, an Indian origin politician, is creating a buzz in the Los Angeles mayoral race. She is now challenging incumbent Karen Bass in the November 3 election.

Raman was born in Kerala to a Tamil family and moved to the United States when she was six years old.

She studied at Harvard and MIT before returning to India to work on urban issues. She later moved into politics and became a Los Angeles City Council member in 2020.

Now, Raman is being compared to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Both are associated with the Democratic Socialists of America and focus on issues such as housing affordability and homelessness.

Raman entered the mayoral race at the last minute, after previously supporting Karen Bass. But she managed to secure a place in the final contest after the primary vote count.

Her campaign focuses on affordable housing, tenant rights, homelessness and improving basic city services. Recent polls have placed her ahead of Bass, although many voters remain undecided.

If Raman wins, she would become the first South Asian woman to serve as Los Angeles mayor. With the election approaching, the big question is whether Nithya Raman can repeat Mamdani’s political success in LA.