Staff Reports
Nithya Raman just took a big step in the Los Angeles mayoral race: the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America — DSA-LA — formally endorsed Councilmember Nithya Raman, and her campaign put the group’s logo on its endorsements page. The endorsement came after a membership vote in which Raman won more than 60% of participating ballots, and DSA-LA says it will roll out volunteers, door-knockers and field resources to push her bid. That shift changes the dynamics of the LA mayor race overnight.
What the DSA endorsement actually brings
This is not a ceremonial pat on the back. DSA-LA plans to place Raman atop a multi-candidate “Shake Up LA” slate and use chapter organizing muscle to phonebank, knock doors and try to turn out voters in key neighborhoods. For a campaign short on cash but rich in grassroots energy, that kind of volunteer army can matter. But endorsements are a trade: the DSA name brings organizing horsepower — and a clear ideological brand that opponents will happily parade around.
The baggage tied to the DSA label
Raman embraced the endorsement even though she has a complicated history with the chapter. She has clashed with DSA-LA before over tax policy, edits to a so‑called “mansion tax,” votes on police spending, and even a past censure tied to statements on the Israel‑Gaza war. In short: she’s now chosen to wear a label that many Angelenos still associate with calls to shrink police roles, push radical criminal-justice changes, and champion policies that worry middle‑class voters worried about safety and homelessness.
Expect the Bass campaign to pounce
Mayor Karen Bass’s campaign has already signaled it will make the endorsement an issue, and with good reason. Public safety and homelessness are top concerns for many voters across the city, and opponents will frame the DSA backing as proof that Raman is too far left for a city that wants practical solutions, not ideological experiments. Independent groups on both sides of the aisle smell a fundraising and messaging opportunity — and they will use it.
Bottom line: the DSA endorsement gives Nithya Raman boots on the ground, but it also hands her opponents a tidy talking point. If Raman wants the DSA’s organizing muscle, she’s going to have to answer for the group’s positions and convince swing voters she can lead all of Los Angeles — not just the loudest corners of the left. That’s a tall order in a race where public safety and homelessness already dominate voters’ concerns. The next few weeks will show whether the endorsement is a boost or a brand that holds her back.
