MASSIVE Upset Brewing In LA Mayor Race

An LA Times poll cited in the clip puts Nithya Raman 11 points ahead of incumbent Mayor Karen Bass [21:13]. Raman says many voters are undecided, so the upset framing is not proven [22:04].

Key points

• Raman’s campaign points to a DSA LA endorsement in the general election, with more than two-thirds of the coalition voting for her after the primary [24:54]. She also credits support from unions such as Unite Here and the Carpenters, saying a broad DSA and union coalition is needed to beat an establishment she says has failed Los Angeles [26:54].
• Raman says studies indicated the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger would cause 4,000-plus LA job losses, and she opposed the deal because of consumer, precedent, and news-consolidation concerns [02:27]. She says the settlement is expected to move forward, so the practical fight is enforcing its protections and promised productions [03:37]. To keep production in California, she proposes cutting permit, neighborhood, and fire fees, creating a mayoral film office, and lobbying Sacramento for a tax credit like Georgia and New Jersey [07:10].
• Raman says Los Angeles voters approved three taxes to fund shelter and services rather than relying on arrests or jurisdiction shifts [16:18]. She cites a 49% one-year reduction in unsheltered homelessness and a 70% three-year reduction in tents, RVs, and encampments in council district 4 [16:50]. Her accountability plan is to audit homeless spending with the city controller while using data on county mental-health access to pressure the county [20:16]. She also proposes funding street-medicine teams to provide services while the county is held accountable [20:56].