Four years ago, Karen Bass became the first woman elected mayor of Los Angeles. Born and raised on the West Side of the city, Bass first gave back to her community as a physician assistant before founding the Community Coalition in South Los Angeles in 1990. Those organizing chops, honed while advocating for the Black community, were part of her campaign pitch in 2022: There are no simple answers to homelessness, “but Karen has the experience, values, and support to get the job done.” Now the 73-year-old is running again, and facing an unexpected opponent.
On February 7, the last day to register as a candidate for the mayor’s race, Councilmember Nithya Raman shocked everyone by throwing her hat in the ring. Compared with Bass, 45-year-old Raman is a neophyte — she moved to Los Angeles 13 years ago, and began her career in electoral politics in 2020. Two weeks prior, she had endorsed Bass.
Raman leans on her background as an immigrant from India, citing her education as an urban planner. She was the first Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidate to be elected to the city council, though the relationship has become strained. Turning against her once-ally, Raman’s campaign calls for “a city that works” — a message resonating with younger Angelenos.
Raman placed second in the primary, ensuring that she would be the other name on the Election Day ballot. No matter the outcome, the second-largest city in the country will be run by a progressive woman of color. But many young people who backed Bass last election say life has gotten more difficult over the past four years and have switched loyalties to Raman.
Other voters look to Bass’s record as proof she can lead Los Angeles through a new gubernatorial administration, heightened federal immigration enforcement, the 2028 Olympics and the continued housing crisis. This race is a microcosm of divides facing Democrats today as the party splits on approaches to affordability, housing and representation. Bass’ reelection bid has emphasized her legislative experience in the California Assembly and the U.S.
House of Representatives, with endorsements from Vice President Kamala Harris, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and the late legendary organizer Dolores Huerta. But Bass’s administration has also been plagued by mixed success in reducing homelessness, with her signature program Inside Safe seeing 40 percent of participants return to the streets while ballooning to over $300 million.
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