Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman said voter frustration helped fuel support for celebrity candidate Spencer Pratt in the city’s hard-fought mayoral race, acknowledging that many Angelenos are fed up with the status quo.
“I know many people in this city voted for Spencer Pratt, who gave voice to the fear and anger so many in this city are feeling right now,” she said. “I don’t think Spencer Pratt was the candidate LA needed in this moment, but I understand why he was able to cultivate support.”
Raman’s comments come despite her own involvement in the city’s homeless crisis and failure to deal with it.
She is also a member of the socialist DSA, which pushes an agenda hostile to police enforcement.
Raman was given a $4,0011,357 million grant to deal with a dangerous homeless encampment on the LA river but hasn’t used it.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman holds a press conference. REUTERS
“People in this city are frustrated with the conditions on our streets, and they can feel an absence of leadership here,” she said.
“They can feel that the city is not working, and they are sick of it.”
The councilwoman also took aim at Mayor Karen Bass, arguing that powerful insiders continue to dominate local government.
“The mayor has the entire political machine behind her,” Raman said.
Raman will face incumbent L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. REUTERSThe mayoral contest unfolded against a backdrop of mounting political turmoil, including a massive lawsuit filed by thousands of homeowners who lost properties in the devastating Palisades Fire.
The sweeping legal action names the city of Los Angeles, the state of California, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and several other entities as defendants.
Among the plaintiffs is Kenneth D. Bass — the brother of Mayor Karen Bass — adding another layer of intrigue to the high-profile case as questions continue to swirl over the government’s response to the deadly blaze.
Mayor Karen Bass speaks during a campaign rally at East End Studios. Getty ImagesBass has defended her administration’s record, highlighting efforts to reduce homelessness, expand public safety programs, and support the entertainment industry, while also criticizing Raman’s approach during a downtown campaign kickoff.
Raman has run as a systems-focused reform challenger, arguing City Hall has failed to respond with urgency to homelessness, housing affordability, infrastructure, and basic city services.
She has criticized what she describes as inefficient and costly homelessness programs, questioned major spending decisions, and called for stronger accountability across city departments.
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In her policy platform, she has pledged to lower housing costs, protect renters, reduce homelessness, improve city services, strengthen emergency response systems, support small businesses, and preserve entertainment industry jobs.
She has also positioned herself as an outsider to what she describes as entrenched political interests.
Pratt held an initial second-place lead on election night. GC ImagesThe campaign has also been overshadowed by controversy, including videos circulating online that appear to show homeless residents on Skid Row claiming they were paid to vote for Bass and Raman.
Raman has additionally drawn comparisons during the race to New York political figure Zohran Mamdani.
Historically, the contest comes at a moment when no incumbent Los Angeles mayor has lost reelection since 2005, when James Hahn was defeated by Antonio Villaraigosa.
