Nithya Raman: The Kerala-Born Urban Planner Who Could Soon Be Running Los Angeles

A 6-year-old girl from Kerala who immigrated to the United States is now on the verge of becoming the mayor of Los Angeles.

Nithya Raman, a Harvard and MIT-educated urban planner and LA City Council member, edged past former reality TV star and political newcomer Spencer Pratt in the primary to secure a spot in the November 2026 mayoral runoff against incumbent Karen Bass.

Her rise, built on homelessness reform and housing affordability, has drawn comparisons to Zohran Mamdani's landmark New York City victory.

Who Is Nithya Raman?

Raman's family immigrated from Kerala when she was 6. She became a naturalised citizen at 22.

After completing her master's in urban planning from MIT, she worked in New Delhi, developing a deep understanding of large-scale urban poverty, according to Vogue.

She moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and joined the city administrative officer's office, studying the link between housing instability and public spending.

How Did She Build Her Political Career in Los Angeles?

Raman founded SELAH, a nonprofit running outreach centres offering food, shelter access, and case management to unhoused Angelenos.

In 2020, that grassroots work carried her to a City Council seat in District 4, making her the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian ever elected to the LA City Council. She was re-elected to a second term decisively.

What Is She Promising in Los Angeles?

Her central pledge targets the homelessness crisis. She has committed to reducing the number of people sleeping in encampments by at least 50 percent before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and eliminating long-term encampments across the city by the end of her first term.

How Did She Outpace a Reality Star Rival?

Nithya Raman entered the race in February, launching a surprise bid just hours before the official filing deadline.

She overtook Pratt as mail-in ballots continued arriving after election day. She pulled ahead to lead Pratt by roughly 22,000 votes as the final mail-in ballots were processed.

Is the 'Rigged Election' Controversy a Threat to Her Run?

Her narrow win drew immediate pushback from Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who publicly questioned the result's legitimacy over California's standard, week-long mail-in ballot counting process.

Raman has instead focused on her core message, stating that City Hall has long prioritised powerful interests over working people, as per the Financial Express.

Could She Become the Next Zohran Mamdani?

Like Mamdani, Raman is a progressive, Indian-origin candidate challenging the political establishment of a major American city. If she defeats Karen Bass in November, she would become Los Angeles' first Indian-American and South Asian mayor.

(With inputs from yMedia)