Bass and Raman vie for Los Angeles mayor

When Karen Bass was first elected to the California state Assembly in 2004, Nithya Raman was halfway across the world, working in the slums of Delhi, India. The two women now face off in a contentious battle for mayor of Los Angeles, with voters set to decide between a local legend and a recent transplant.

Bass, a South L.A. native, has lived in the city for more than half a century. She built a career as a physician’s assistant, an activist, and a politician. Raman moved to Los Angeles 13 years ago with her husband, Vali Chandrasekaran. The Bass campaign has used Raman’s relative newness to the city as a talking point, arguing she lacks knowledge of local history.

The dispute recently centered on a remark Raman made about former police chief Daryl F. Gates, who led the force during the 1991 beating of Rodney King. Bass criticized the comment in an interview, stating that if one wants to lead the city, they should know its most important historical moments.

Raman responded by framing her background as part of the city’s DNA. She stated that Los Angeles was built by people like herself who came seeking better life and new opportunities. She said, "This city welcomed me with open arms. So when the mayor keeps saying I’m not really an Angeleno, she’s attacking more than me."

Bass grew up in the Fairfax District, watching the civil rights movement unfold. At 14, she helped campaign for Robert F. Kennedy, walking streets and knocking on doors. She was in her bedroom listening to the radio when Kennedy was assassinated, an event she called a devastating milestone in her life. That experience led her toward activism and community politics rather than traditional electoral paths.

Raman grew up in Burlington, Massachusetts, to a family of limited means. Her childhood friend Nadia Salim recalled that they faced racial slurs and spit as immigrant children in a town with a shifting demographic. Raman said those experiences sharpened her empathy and curiosity about people. She later studied urban planning at MIT and worked on slum dwellers' rights in Chennai, India, before moving to Los Angeles in 2013.

Bass has held public office since 2004. She served as a state assembly member, then in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms. Former Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez described her as empathetic and persuasive. In Congress, Bass worked across the aisle to pass legislation, maintaining a friendship with former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy for 20 years.

Raman began her local career as a management trainee at the city administrative officer’s office. She wrote a 2015 report on the homeless crisis, noting that money was spent on impacts without addressing root causes. She co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition in 2017 to serve communities including Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Hollywood. The race concludes with the final vote count on Tuesday.