Mayoral candidate Raman was once a firm 'no' on the Olympics. She remains a skeptic

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

Set us as preferred The next mayor of Los Angeles will preside over what many are calling the largest athletic event in U.S.history — and that mayor could be someone who didn’t even want the 2028 Summer Olympic Games here in the first place.When she ran for City Council in 2020, Nithya Raman gave a clear “no” when asked if she supported the Olympics coming to Los Angeles.

But if she beats incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Nov.3 election, Raman will take center stage during the international sports extravaganza.Raman’s stated opposition to the Olympics came in response to a questionnaire to council candidates from the Democratic Socialists of America.

Asked if she supported having the 2028 Summer Games here, Raman wrote: “No — especially not after the way it was approved.There was no vetting of this process, extremely rushed budgeting outreach, and the residents of our city had no say in any of it.”After she was elected, Raman was one of two councilmembers to vote against the primary contract outlining the partnership between the city and the Olympic organizing committee, LA28.

She also opposed the expansion and remodeling of the Los Angeles Convention Center, which will be the venue for five Olympic sports.More recently, Raman joined three other City Council members in voting against a deal with LA28 outlining how the city will be reimbursed for policing, trash collection and other expanded services that will be needed as fans flood the city during the Games.Raman, who didn’t respond to questions from The Times for this article, has said that she accepts the reality that the Games are coming to Los Angeles and that her aim now is to ensure the city is protected financially.“I want the Olympics to succeed.

But that cannot mean giving LA28 a blank check while Angelenos carry the risk,” Raman wrote on X after voting Aug.12 against the deal with LA28, dubbed the Enhanced City Resources Mast...