Nithya Raman
Nithya V. Raman is an American urban planner, activist, and politician serving as the Los Angeles city councilmember for the 4th district since 2020. Raman, a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated incumbent councilmember David Ryu in 2020 and was re-elected in 2024.
Standing...
Stories...
Jun 9, 2026
Center
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman advanced past Spencer Pratt in the LA mayoral primary and will face incumbent Karen Bass in the general election.
Moderates are skeptical of Raman's democratic socialist label in a city that desperately needs pragmatic management, viewing her advancement as a sign that progressive primary infrastructure remains strong even as national Democrats try to recalibrate toward the center.
Jun 8, 2026
Lean Right
Progressive Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman surged into second place in the L.A. mayoral primary, overtaking reality-TV personality Spencer Pratt after a late vote-count shift.
The result reinforces lean-right suspicions about California's slow and erratic ballot-counting process, and signals that a far-left candidate could advance to lead the country's second-largest city despite its ongoing crime and homelessness crises.
Jun 6, 2026
Lean Left
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman is locked in a tight race with political newcomer Spencer Pratt for the second spot in the November LA mayoral election, per CBS News projections.
Raman represents the lean-left's preferred path in LA municipal politics, having championed renter protections and progressive budget priorities on the council, and her potential elimination by a low-profile newcomer would be read as a failure of progressive consolidation in one of the country's most consequential cities.