PIO Nithya Raman shakes up Los Angeles mayor race

Born in Kerala in 1981, Nithya Raman moved to the US as a child and has since built a career at the intersection of policy and community work. She currently serves as the councilmember for Los Angeles’ District 4, a role she took on in 2020 after a breakthrough electoral win.

Her victory marked a milestone. She became the first Asian American woman and the first South Asian to sit on the Los Angeles City Council.

Raman’s political outlook is deeply informed by her academic and grassroots background. She studied at Harvard University and later completed a master’s in urban planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Before entering electoral politics, she co-founded the SELAH Neighbourhood Homeless Coalition, working directly on homelessness, an issue that remains central to her platform.

Raman entered the 2026 LA mayoral race hours before the filing deadline in Feb. The decision raised eyebrows, because she had previously backed sitting mayor Karen Bass. 

Observers increasingly likened Raman to Zohran Mamdani, a prominent progressive voice in US politics.