DSA-backed Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman is taking on her buddy Karen Bass in this year’s mayoral race.

Raman, the first member of the council elected with the endorsement of Democratic Socialists of America, announced her candidacy on Saturday, just hours before the filing deadline, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Raman has applauded Bass’s leadership through the years and called her an “icon,” but said she wants “big changes.”

“I have deep respect for Mayor Bass. We’ve worked closely together on my biggest priorities and her biggest priorities, and there’s significant alignment there,” Raman told the Times.

“But over the last few months in particular, I’ve really begun to feel like unless we have some big changes in how we do things in Los Angeles, that the things we count on are not going to function anymore.”

Raman, whose district stretches from Silver Lake to Reseda, was elected to the City Council in 2020 and won reelection in 2024. 

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She leads the Housing and Homelessness Committee and “has prioritized delivering compassionate and effective services for people experiencing homelessness,” her website says.

On Wednesday, Raman appeared stumped an unprepared at the unveiling of a long-delayed report meant to scrutinize more than $200 million in taxpayer-funded homeless housing.

Her announcement follows Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s decision late Friday not to run for mayor after publicly feuding with Bass.

Billionaire developer Rick Caruso also confirmed earlier this week that he would not re-enter the race. 

Austin Beutner, a former LA Unified School District superintendent, withdrew from the contest this week after the death of his 22-year-old daughter.