- By Aditya Jha
- Sun, 08 Feb 2026 02:28 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Nithya Raman, a city councilmember in Los Angeles, has officially launched her bid for the mayor post, leading to comparisons with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani. Raman's joining the race for the key post shows the rise of young politicians with Indian backgrounds in the top US cities. While she is being compared to Mamdani due to her Indian background, the issues she has raised are also similar to those of the young Democrat leader.
Nithya Raman-LA's Mamdani?
The supporters of Raman have drawn several similarities with Mamdani, pointing out that they both raise the issues of the middle class. Apart from this, both Mamdani and Raman share a background in grassroots activism and have links with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The supporters also pointed out that they both have an Indian background and criticised the federal immigration enforcement.
However, the critics pointed out that while the "high energy" campaign helped Mamdani, it might not work for Raman, further suggesting she "lead in her own way".
Who Is Nithya Raman?
The 44-year-old is one of the most prominent progressive voices in Los Angeles and has been a vocal admirer of Karen Bass, the incumbent mayor of Los Angeles. However, she clarified that the city needed major reforms. "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 was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
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"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, the things we count on are not going to function anymore," she added. Raman is set to challenge Bass on several issues, including housing, homelessness, transparency, and law and order.