Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman rambled through a response when asked about her views on capitalism as the comparisons to socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani continue to pile up.
The city councilmember, who is trying to unseat incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in November, appeared on CNN and was bluntly asked if she considered herself a “capitalist.”
“We are in a capitalist system. It’s the city government,” she responded. “The role is the mayor of Los Angeles. You operate within this context. And I’ll do whatever it takes in order to deliver for my residents.”
She then went on to talk about the city’s housing crisis, highlighting the need for more housing construction and protections for renters.
“I will do anything it takes and put into place any policy that we need to in order to make sure that Los Angeles is more affordable, more ambitious, more functional city for its residents,” Raman continued.
The exchange came after CNN anchor Elex Michaelson referenced a California Post op-ed that said Raman “represents the California expression of the same radical socialism that fuels figures like Mamdani.”
“I’m running for mayor of Los Angeles. People here in this city are not caught up about political world views or ideologies,” Raman responded. “They want this city to work for them.”
During the same interview, Michaelson asked why Raman is a Democratic Socialist. She said she felt the socialist branch was one of the few places in LA where tenants’ rights were seriously discussed. Raman criticized the Democratic Party “establishment,” including Bass, for engaging in play-to-play politics.
But she insisted that labels are not important.
“I don’t think there is particularly a Democratic Socialist way or a Democratic Party way of fixing a street light or fixing a pothole,” she said.
Despite her socialist identity, Raman does not have the backing of every lefty in the city. In a stunning betrayal, her fellow Democratic Socialists of America allies on the city council are instead rallying behind Mayor Bass.
“These endorsements suggest they don’t believe Nithya Raman has the chops to run the city,” political consultant Michael Trujillo said. “The four DSA council districts all touch each other geographically. This is the movement’s base in Los Angeles, and for them to tell supporters to stay with Bass matters.”
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