Washington: Kerala-born Nithya Raman is emerging as a strong contender to become the first Indian-American mayor of Los Angeles, with the 45-year-old Democratic politician maintaining an edge over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass ahead of the November 3 election. Her growing political influence has drawn attention following a heated televised debate in which she challenged Bass over homelessness, public safety and the city's handling of a devastating wildfire.

Raman, a Los Angeles City Council member and former political ally of Bass, has positioned herself as an alternative to the incumbent mayor, accusing her administration of failing to address the city's mounting challenges.

A recent opinion poll placed Raman 11 percentage points ahead of Bass, while prediction market estimates released after Tuesday's debate also favoured the Kerala-born politician.

If elected, Raman would make history as the first Indian-American to lead Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States.

Who is Nithya Raman?

Born in Thrissur, Kerala, on July 28, 1981, Nithya moved to the United States with her family at the age of six.

She pursued higher education at Harvard University, earning a bachelor's degree in political theory, before completing a master's degree in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Her academic background in urban planning shaped her political focus on housing affordability, homelessness and urban development, issues that have become central to her mayoral campaign.

Raman is associated with the Democratic Socialist movement and has served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for six years.

Her political journey has been closely linked to efforts to address the city's housing crisis and improve access to affordable living conditions.

Although Raman initially endorsed Karen Bass for re-election, she later decided to challenge the incumbent, turning a former political alliance into a high-profile electoral contest.

The decision has placed her at the centre of one of the most closely watched local elections in the United States.

Nithya Raman leads Karen Bass in opinion poll

A survey conducted by the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times showed Raman leading Bass by 11 percentage points ahead of Tuesday's televised debate.

The survey, conducted between September 15 and 20, found that 39 per cent of respondents supported Raman, compared with 28 per cent backing Bass.

However, nearly one-third of voters remained undecided, suggesting that the contest could still change in the final weeks before polling.

On Wednesday, prediction market Kalshi estimated Raman's chances of winning at 56 per cent, compared with 45 per cent for Bass.

The figures indicate that Raman has emerged as a formidable challenger to the 73-year-old incumbent, although the election outcome remains uncertain.

Raman and Bass exchanged sharp criticism during an hour-long televised debate on Tuesday night, clashing over homelessness, police leadership and public safety.

Raman accused Bass of failing to provide effective leadership during the devastating Palisades wildfire in Southern California in January 2025.

She described the incumbent as a "missing-in-action" mayor, questioning her absence when residents were facing a major emergency.

Bass responded by accusing Raman of being "unserious, indecisive" and unprepared to lead Los Angeles.

Raman rejected the criticism, arguing that the city needed a change in leadership.

She said Los Angeles "cannot afford another four years of decline, mismanagement, or excuses."

Seeking to connect with voters frustrated by the city's challenges, Raman invoked a question famously posed by former US President Ronald Reagan during the 1980 presidential election campaign.

"Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" Raman asked viewers.

The debate highlighted the increasingly confrontational nature of the contest between the two Democrats.

Housing affordability and homelessness have emerged as major issues in the Los Angeles mayoral election.

Raman criticised the city's continued homelessness crisis, arguing that conditions had not sufficiently improved "despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent".

She said her administration would prioritise building a "city that's functional, that's affordable and where people are welcomed here to build their dreams once again."

The Kerala-born politician has made improving the functioning of city services and addressing the cost of living central themes of her campaign.

Her criticism of Bass has also focused on what she describes as shortcomings in the city's emergency response and administrative leadership.

'Where is our mayor?': Raman attacks Bass over wildfire response

One of Raman's strongest attacks during the debate concerned Bass's absence from Los Angeles during the devastating Palisades wildfire in January 2025.

Raman said she had been present at the city's emergency operations centre, helping coordinate assistance for constituents evacuated during the disaster.

She recalled repeatedly hearing residents question the mayor's whereabouts as the crisis unfolded.

"The question I heard over and over, there and across the entire city, was, 'Where is our mayor? Where is our mayor?'" Raman said.

Promising a more visible and responsive administration, she asserted that residents would not face similar uncertainty under her leadership.

"You will not have to ask where our mayor is if I am mayor. I will be on the front lines," Raman asserted.