The biggest donor in L.A. mayor's race runs a hedge fund and wants more bike lanes

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred A hedge fund manager who supports expanding the city’s bicycle lane network is now the biggest single contributor in the Los Angeles mayor’s race, putting $4 million into campaign committees that are backing City Councilmember Nithya Raman.Aaron Sosnick, who manages the hedge fund A.R.T Advisors, gave $3 million last week to Estamos Con Nithya for Mayor 2026, an independent expenditure committee sponsored by the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, according to city contribution records.Sosnick, an avid bicyclist, put an additional $1 million into a pro-Raman committee sponsored by Streets for All, a group that advocates for bike lanes, bus lanes and other street redesigns.

That group, which focuses on efforts to reduce the number of fatal vehicle collisions, has produced dozens of digital campaign ads promoting Raman and criticizing her opponent, Mayor Karen Bass.Michael Schneider, who heads Streets for All’s political action committee, said the hedge fund manager “wants to see change” at City Hall.“He likes to ride his bike in L.A., and he doesn’t want to die,” Schneider said.“He thinks L.A.

should be better run and should be more multimodal ...that you should be able to ride your bike or take a walk without risking your life.”Sosnick didn’t respond to inquiries sent to him and to Schneider, who offered to forward them directly.

Campaign contribution reports show Sosnick is based in Reno.He splits his time among Reno, New York City and L.A.’s Los Feliz neighborhood, Schneider said.Bass spokesperson Alex Stack took aim at the hedge fund manager’s spending, saying Raman’s wealthy backers are “trying to buy the election.” Stack also issued a statement from David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, which is suppor...