Los Angeles Mayor Election: Raman Faces Three Key Challenges
Nithya Raman, an Indian-American candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, is navigating three significant challenges just days before the November 3 election. She is challenging incumbent Karen Bass, but her campaign has been shaped by tensions with the national Democratic Socialists of America, the backing of Bass by billionaire developer Rick Caruso, and a dispute over an AI-generated voice that copies her speech.
Caruso, a real estate investor who lost to Bass in 2022, announced his support for her on Monday. In a video shared on the social platform X, he said, “To move forward for Los Angeles, I have to put the past aside, and I will be voting for Bass.” He also argued that the race is about the ability to deliver results, not only political philosophy.
In a separate interview with Fox 11, Caruso explained that his decision was about voting for Bass, not simply against Raman. Bass said she was glad to have his support and that it felt meaningful.
Raman’s campaign has highlighted an earlier endorsement from Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. The numbers in recent surveys show a close contest. A September poll conducted by Berkeley IGS and the Los Angeles Times placed Raman at 39 percent and Bass at 28 percent, with 33 percent of voters undecided. A Manhattan Institute survey put Raman at 38 percent and Bass at 32 percent.
On the same day, Raman’s campaign lodged complaints with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. The complaints involve a phone number promoted by Thrive LA, a super PAC supporting Bass. The line was marketed as “Nithya Raman Realty,” but it plays an AI-generated voice that speaks like Raman and mocks her campaign promises. One message says the voice is as imaginary as her election pledges.
Raman’s team says the content violates rules against misleading election material and laws requiring disclosure of AI use in campaigns. Spokesperson Liz Garcia accused conservative backers of Bass of copying Raman’s voice to circulate false claims while keeping the identities of funders hidden.
Thrive LA’s executive director, Ana Dahan, defended the message as AI-assisted political satire protected by free expression. She argued that no reasonable listener would mistake it for a genuine human voice.
Raman is also contending with internal opposition. The Los Angeles chapter of the DSA named her its candidate with 937 votes in favor and 484 against, while 52 members abstained. Yet the national leadership is considering whether to withdraw support because of her position on the BDS movement against Israel.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the national political committee passed resolutions on Monday calling for a meeting with Raman on October 31 to evaluate her stance on BDS. If she does not offer a clear, unconditional commitment, a vote on withdrawing support may be held. A further resolution says that if Raman does not clarify by January 1 that she backs BDS and condemns arms shipments through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), a process to expel her will move ahead.
Leslie Chang, co-chair of the Los Angeles chapter, expressed disappointment with the national decision and said members had approved the resolutions without reading the materials sent to them.
As a council member, Raman has presented herself as independent. She has used phrases such as “sewer socialism” and “pothole politics” to describe her approach, and says her priority is a government that delivers effectively for everyday residents.
Born in India, Raman moved to the United States as a young child. If she wins on November 3, she will become the first Indian-American mayor of Los Angeles.