+34
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman talked about her decision to run for LA mayor.
Nithya Raman speaks with NBC4’s Conan Nolan on Monday Feb. 9, 2026 about her last-minute run for mayor. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman said Monday that Los Angeles appears to be in a"moment of turmoil" that played a role in her last-minute surprise challenge to Karen Bass in the upcoming mayoral election.
to run against Bass at a Saturday news conference and spoke with NBC4's Conan Nolan Monday about her decision in an exclusive interview."I have been very, very frustrated with Los Angeles for the last few months," Raman said Monday."I can't get a streetlight fixed for a year unless I put discretionary funds into it. We haven't paved a single mile of streets in LA over this last year. "We're at a moment where we're not delivering on the basics at a time whent he public has trusted us with hundreds of millions of dollars to solve complex problems like our housing crisis and our homelessness crisis. I feel like Los Angeles is really in a moment of turmoil, right now." Raman said she waited to hear what conversations were being had about Los Angeles in the mayoral race, but did not hear matters that were important to her being discussed. The Fourth District rep has been on the city council since 2020. The district includes Los Feliz, Reseda, the Hollywood Hills and other parts of LA's San Fernando Valley. She will face a field that includes Bass and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt with the primary set for June 2. Raman, 44, said she informed Bass of her candidacy, which came to fruition just hours before the filing deadline, before the weekend announcement.Bass campaign advisor Douglas Herman issued the following statement in response to Raman's announcement:"The last thing Los Angeles needs is a politician who opposed cleaning up homeless encampments and efforts to make our city safer. Mayor Bass will continue changing L.A. by building on her track record delivering L.A.‘s first sustained decrease in street homelessness, a 60 year-low in homicides, and the most aggressive agenda our city has ever seen to make our city more affordable." In another recent mayoral race development, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath announced Friday night she will not run for mayor. In a statement released Friday night, Horvath said she decided after “much prayer and many honest conversations” with her family, friends and political allies. Former LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced the end of his campaign Thursday, citing the death of his daughter at age 22. Billionaire developer Rick Caruson, Bass' opponent in the last election, re-affirmed his decision not to enter the race.
Scratch the next story
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
City Councilwoman Nithya Raman Enters Los Angeles Mayoral Race, Challenging Incumbent Mayor Karen BassLos Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman unexpectedly announced her candidacy for mayor, challenging incumbent Karen Bass just hours before the filing deadline. Raman cited concerns over the city's handling of crime, declining opportunities, and a perceived failure to deliver on promises related to housing and homelessness. Bass, who had previously secured Raman's endorsement, now faces a crowded field of challengers and scrutiny over her administration's response to recent city fires.
Read more »
LA City Councilwoman Nithya Raman announces run for mayorLos Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman has entered the race for mayor. She plans to challenge incumbent and political ally Karen Bass.
Read more »
LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman announces run for LA mayorLos Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman announced her run for Los Angeles mayor in a press conference on Saturday.
Read more »
Radical LA councilmember Nithya Raman's shocking record in spotlight as she enters mayor's raceCalifornia Post opinion editor Joel Pollak discusses an LA Times report alleging Mayor Karen Bass directed the watering down of the Palisades fire after-action report.
Read more »
Are you ready for the Olympics? Here are some U.S. stars worth a followYour morning catch-up: Here are some U.S. Olympic athletes who will excite this winter, L.A. Councilmember Nithya Raman to run for L.A. mayor and more big stories.
Read more »
By running for mayor, Nithya Raman will learn how left L.A. really is — or isn’tOn the last day of January, hundreds of people filled the pews of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Koreatown to hear not the word of God but the gospel of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Read more »