Los Angeles Mayoral Primary Features Two Democratic Socialists and a Reality TV Star
With less than a week until the nonpartisan primary, Rae Huang and Nithya Raman trail incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt in recent polling. The Los Angeles Times and University of California, Berkeley poll released Thursday showed Bass at 26 percent, Raman at 25 percent, Pratt at 22 percent, and Huang at 9 percent.
The InterceptTwo Democratic Socialists of America members are running for mayor of Los Angeles in a crowded primary scheduled for next week. Rae Huang, a Presbyterian minister, entered the race in November on a platform of free buses, affordable housing, and police accountability.
Nithya Raman, a city councilmember, joined the race hours before the February filing deadline. The same poll placed both candidates behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and reality television personality Spencer Pratt.
Huang has not held elected office.
The LA Reporter reported this week that her campaign overstated fundraising totals needed to qualify for public matching funds, an error the campaign attributed to clerical mistakes. Raman voted to increase the Los Angeles Police Department budget in 2021, 2022, and 2023 after campaigning on police budget reductions in 2020.
She opposed a 2024 proposal by Bass to hire 170 additional officers and received an endorsement from Democrats for Israel–Los Angeles, prompting a censure from DSA–Los Angeles.
Pratt has criticized Bass’s response to the Pacific Palisades fire and proposed using police to address homelessness. He has described unhoused residents as drug-addicted and stated that police would arrest people and direct others to mandatory medical treatment.
The Intercept reported that Pratt did not respond to requests for comment. Huang and Raman campaigns also did not respond to The Intercept’s requests for comment. Leslie Chang, co-chair of DSA–Los Angeles, said a vote for the most value-aligned candidate should not come at the cost of everyday people being able to live a better life.
Michael Burns, a Huang supporter, said backing candidates with a bold left vision contributes to imagining a better political future.
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