Nithya Raman stunned the L.A. political world in 2020. Now, she wants to do it again

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Nithya Raman began her political career by defeating a well-funded incumbent with deep ties to the Democratic Party establishment.Raman, an urban planner who was running to shake up the status quo, became the first person to oust a sitting councilmember in 17 years, stunning the Los Angeles political establishment with her defeat of David Ryu in 2020.Now, with her surprise, last-minute entry into the mayor’s race, the 44-year-old Silver Lake resident is hoping to defeat another incumbent, Karen Bass, by expanding on the formula that led to her first upset victory.

“I was an outsider when I first ran, and I think I’ll be an outsider in this race,” Raman said after filing her candidate paperwork on Feb.7, hours before the deadline.

But after six years at City Hall, Raman is no longer an outsider.She has her own record, which is in many ways intertwined with the mayor’s, particularly on homelessness, an issue the onetime allies have worked closely together to remedy.As a City Council member, Raman, whose previous campaigns were backed by Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles, has sometimes walked a political tightrope, exasperating her progressive base on issues like policing.

Last week, she said that the LAPD must not shrink further — a substantial evolution from her “defund the police” declaration during her first run for council.She has also frustrated some on the left by calling for changes to the city’s “mansion tax,” which she backed in 2022 but which she now says is getting in the way of much-needed development.Raman shook up a mayoral race that was devoid of high-powered challengers after former L.A.

schools Supt.Austin Beutner dropped out and L.A.

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and billionaire developer Rick Caruso decided not to run.“Nithya has shown that she can get votes.

She’s going to be competitive,” said Bill Carrick, a lon...