The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Councilmember Nithya Raman for mayor Wednesday, giving the challenger a boost of left-wing, door-knocking energy as she challenges incumbent Karen Bass in the Nov. 3 election.
The endorsement came after Raman secured more than 60% of the vote in an online election among the more than 6,000 DSA members in the Los Angeles region, the group said. In total, more than 1,400 votes were cast. The group declined to give out the exact percentage of the vote that Raman won.
The DSA is known for espousing controversial positions including defunding the police and abolishing prisons — stances that have drawn scorn from conservatives, and put it at odds with the Democratic Party establishment.
The group has notched major electoral victories across the country over the past year, however, most significantly with the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York.
“The growth of DSA has shown a clear movement to the left nationally,” said Sara Sadhwani, a professor of politics at Pomona College. “A DSA endorsement will be shorthand for how to define Nithya Raman as a candidate both for the establishment in Los Angeles and for Republicans nationally.”
Raman, herself a DSA member since before her first run for council in 2020, will top a slate of nine candidates backed by DSA-LA in local and federal races Nov. 3.
“Our base of left-leaning demo socialists are fed up with the status quo and really want to see a significant change in how the city is run,” said Tal Levy, a member of DSA-LA’s electoral politics committee, which voted three to two to recommend the endorsement of Raman before the organization-wide vote.
Levy noted concerns about Raman’s endorsement, conceding she has been a less reliable vote on DSA issues than three other DSA-backed councilmembers in L.A.
“That said I think there is near unanimity that she is the better candidate in the race in the general election,” he said.
Raman had no immediate comment.
Raman was endorsed by the Los Angeles chapter of DSA in her two council runs as well, and has passed major legislation supported by the group during her time on council, including strengthening renter protections and reforming the city’s rent stabilization ordinance for the first time in decades.
Raman and the DSA have also had numerous public disagreements that have led some in the group to question whether she would be a good candidate to endorse for such an important role in local government.
Her approval of budgets that increased police spending as well as her move earlier this year to revise Measure ULA — also known as the “mansion tax” — to offer an exemption to developers of multifamily and commercial projects drew the ire of many in the group.
Her biggest split with the group came following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis.
DSA released a statement saying the attack “was not unprovoked.” Raman called the group’s statement “unacceptably devoid of empathy for communities in Israel.”
Then, in early 2024, Raman was censured by DSA for seeking and accepting an endorsement from Democrats for Israel-Los Angeles a liberal Zionist group.
Raman was the first L.A. elected official backed by DSA to win office. Since her election, the group has endorsed three more candidates for city council that have won: Hugo Soto-Martínez, Ysabel Jurado and Eunisses Hernandez. All three of those council members have endorsed Bass.
In addition to Raman, the DSA slate for the Nov. 3 election includes Marissa Roy, a candidate for city attorney, and Estuardo Mazariegos, who is running for council in South L.A.
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