Commentary: Nithya Raman is the comeback kid of L.A. politics

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Set us as preferred On the night of the June primary, standing before cheering supporters at a downtown brewery, Nithya Raman was in a familiar position:Outspent by rivals.Mocked by online haters.

Her political career left for dead.In early returns for Los Angeles mayor, Raman was in third place behind incumbent Karen Bass and reality TV villain Spencer Pratt.The City Council member thanked everyone for helping her “little campaign” but seemed resigned to defeat.“We may not get an answer we like,” Raman said.

“But regardless of what happens next, nobody — nobody — can take away what all of us have built together.” California 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.

She ended her short speech by going on the dance floor to greet well-wishers and boogie for a bit.The move came off to me as someone losing herself in happiness so she didn’t have to think about the sad reality.But when I think about that moment now, it seems clear that she was embracing another familiar position: Confident in what was ahead.

Content with being underestimated.Ready to upend City Hall yet again.As more votes were counted, Raman overtook Pratt to face Bass in the November runoff.

Raman’s last-minute decision to enter the race had shocked L.A.’s political class and drawn accusations of betrayal for challenging Bass, a longtime ally whom she had endorsed.Yet Raman managed to pull off a hard-fought campaign, with Pratt as an unexpectedly strong insurgent from the right — a winning streak that continued this week when she scored two key endorsements.The L.A.

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