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LOS ANGELES () — A competitive and at times nasty Los Angeles mayor’s race between two city hall insiders – Councilwoman Nithya Raman and Mayor Karen Bass – saw an endorsement Wednesday that could shake things up. The Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles chapter uniting behind Nithya Raman.
“What this really equates to is headlines for Raman. It equates to energy on the ground, more people knocking on more doors and making more phone calls, and in the end, if that can equate to more votes. Then we’re talking about the potential for real change in city governance,” said Christina Bellantoni, a professor at USC Annenberg.
In a statement about the endorsement, Nithya Raman said in part: “I’m proud that DSA-LA is joining our broad coalition of Angelenos working to make Los Angeles a city that works-and where everyone can afford to build a life.”
Incumbent Bass’ campaign had a very different take.
“Nithya Raman said kids aren’t safer if an encampment is 500 feet away from a school and voted repeatedly to cut basic public safety funding to make L.A. safer,” a spokesperson for the Bass campaign said. “Those are positions she now fully owns as she tries to flip-flop and convince voters otherwise.”
“I can definitely foresee mayor bass using this endorsement in attack ads as campaign talking points, saying, this is what Nithya Raman wants for the city of la, and this is why it’s bad for the city of AL, right? Taking that and painting it as a negative thing,” said Bellantoni.
The DSA is a subgroup of the democratic party and has had a significant presence in Los Angeles since 2020. Currently, almost 1/3 of LA’s city council are DSA members. But, all the DSA members on the city council have endorsed Bass.
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