The Los Angeles mayoral race is set for a November runoff between incumbent Karen Bass and City Council member Nithya Raman, both Democrats. In an interview with NPR's Ailsa Chang, Raman said she decided to challenge the incumbent after years of watching from inside City Hall under Bass's leadership.
Raman, who initially endorsed Bass for reelection in 2022, said her frustration grew as she observed what she described as a lack of urgency on issues she considers priorities for Angelenos. She pointed specifically to housing costs and the city's homelessness crisis as areas where she believes more aggressive action is needed.
What the Right Is Saying
Bass's supporters, including major business groups and organized labor, have consolidated behind the incumbent mayor. They highlight her establishment credentials and argue that experience matters when governing America's second-largest city.
Conservative critics of Raman question whether her housing density proposals would actually reduce costs or simply alter neighborhood character without solving underlying affordability issues. Some homeowners in single-family neighborhoods have expressed resistance to increased density, arguing they paid premiums for lower-density living conditions.
Defenders of Bass note that homelessness is a complex problem that no mayor can solve unilaterally, and they credit her with making 'incremental progress' on the issue, as Raman herself acknowledged during the interview. Business groups supporting Bass argue that her administration has maintained the economic stability that Los Angeles requires.
What the Left Is Saying
Raman's progressive allies argue that her candidacy represents a necessary push for bolder solutions to Los Angeles' most intractable problems. Supporters say her five years on the City Council give her firsthand knowledge of municipal operations, and they point to her claim of reducing tents and encampments in her district by more than 50 percent over three years as evidence of effective governance.
Housing advocates aligned with Raman contend that the city has not done enough to address affordability. They note that Bass has gone without a deputy mayor of housing for two years during her tenure, and they argue that increasing density, including gentle density additions in some single-family neighborhoods near transit zones, represents a pragmatic approach to expanding supply.
Raman herself framed the choice starkly during the NPR interview: 'Los Angeles is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis that is driving families out of the city,' she said. 'If we don't take actions to be able to resolve it... this city will face the results.'
What the Numbers Show
Los Angeles faces significant challenges on both housing and homelessness. The city has long struggled with high housing costs relative to national averages, and homelessness remains a visible issue throughout the metropolitan area. Raman cited her district-level data showing more than 50 percent reduction in tents and encampments over three years using her targeted approach of focusing on shelter beds and bringing people indoors.
Both candidates are Democrats, meaning the November runoff will not feature a partisan choice but rather a contest between different visions within the same party. Bass holds significant institutional advantages, with backing from the Democratic Party apparatus, major labor unions, and most business groups in Los Angeles.
The Bottom Line
The Bass-Raman matchup represents a test of whether LA voters want to stay the course with an experienced incumbent or pursue what Raman frames as more urgent action on housing and homelessness. The race will be decided without party-line voting since both candidates share a Democratic affiliation, potentially making voter turnout operations and messaging to core constituencies decisive factors. November's runoff will determine who leads a city grappling with persistent affordability challenges and one of the nation's highest-profile homeless populations.