Democratic Socialists endorse Raman in L.A. mayoral race

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Set us as preferred The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Councilmember Nithya Raman for mayor Wednesday, giving the challenger a boost of left-wing, door-knocking energy as she challenges incumbent Karen Bass in the Nov.3 election.The endorsement came after Raman secured more than 60% of the vote in an online election among the more than 6,000 DSA members in the Los Angeles region, the group said.

In total, more than 1,400 votes were cast.The group declined to give out the exact percentage of the vote that Raman won.The DSA is known for espousing controversial positions including defunding the police and abolishing prisons — stances that have drawn scorn from conservatives, and put it at odds with the Democratic Party establishment.The group has notched major electoral victories across the country over the past year, however, most significantly with the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York.“The growth of DSA has shown a clear movement to the left nationally,” said Sara Sadhwani, a professor of politics at Pomona College.

“A DSA endorsement will be shorthand for how to define Nithya Raman as a candidate both for the establishment in Los Angeles and for Republicans nationally.” Raman, herself a DSA member since before her first run for council in 2020, will top a slate of nine candidates backed by DSA-LA in local and federal races Nov.3.

“Our base of left-leaning demo socialists are fed up with the status quo and really want to see a significant change in how the city is run,” said Tal Levy, a member of DSA-LA’s electoral politics committee, which voted three to two to recommend the endorsement of Raman before the organization-wide vote.Levy noted concerns about Raman’s endorsement, conceding she has been a less reliable vote on DSA issues than three other DSA-ba...