Who is Nithya Rahman? Los Angeles City Councilman beats Spencer Pratt for second place in mayoral runoff
The tide in the Los Angeles mayoral primary remains tilted toward Nithiya Rahman. Raman, a two-term city council member, extends her lead Spencer Platt Runoff election with current MPs Karen Bass. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), US media expects Platt to lose the Los Angeles mayoral race and that Raman will face off against Bass in November.
The latest polling results from the June 2 primary race put Rahman in second place, ahead of his former reality star rival. According to deadline, the latest vote count on Monday showed that Raman’s 4th District received 229,576 votes and Platte’s 4th District received 207,757 votes.
It’s unclear who will challenge Bass for mayor in the November election.
“Thank you to the thousands of supporters who knocked on doors, called, texted, donated, opened their homes to events across the city, and everyone who made this moment possible: I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Raman told Deadline as the latest results from the June 2 primary were announced.
“Now, our fight for a healthier, safer, more affordable, and happier Los Angeles continues. For too long, City Hall has prioritized political advantage for powerful interests that fund elections. Meanwhile, working-class people pay the price in higher rents, depleted services and a city that no longer works for them,” she added. “If you’re as frustrated as I am by the broken status quo, I hope you’ll join our movement to build a city that works for everyone.”
Who is Nithya Rahman?
Raman is an American urban planner, activist, and politician who has served as the Councilman for the Fourth District of Los Angeles since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party and Democratic Socialists of America, she defeated incumbent David Ryu in 2020 and was re-elected in 2024.
Graduated Harvard While at MIT, Raman served as co-chair of the Silver Lake Community Council’s Homelessness Committee for several years. She is a co-founder of the SELAH Community Homeless Alliance, according to the city of Los Angeles website.
In 2020, Raman made history as the first Asian American woman and the first South Asian woman to serve on the City Council. She was decisively elected and re-elected in 2024.
“Since taking office, Councilman Raman has prioritized compassionate and effective services for people experiencing homelessness, building more affordable housing, and achieving our city’s climate goals with greater urgency,” the City of Los Angeles said.
“She has built a dedicated team and takes a proactive approach to constituent services, ensuring her office is both responsive to incoming requests and out in the field meeting with people to inform them about tenant protections, community upgrades, community initiatives, fire safety and more,” it added.
Rahman serves as Chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, Vice Chair of the Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and a member of the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee, Energy and Environment Committee, and the Ad Hoc Committee on Unarmed Crisis Prevention, Intervention, and Community Services. She also represents Los Angeles on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Council and serves on the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) Board of Directors.
Bass nominated Raman in 2024 to serve as vice chair of the executive committee of the Los Angeles County Regional Homeless Coalition.
Raman lives in Silver Lake with her husband Vali Chandrasekaran and their twins Karna and Kaveri.
