Nithya Raman, a socialist candidate for Los Angeles mayor, faced audience disapproval during a recent debate when questioned about her decision to hire the political consulting firm that managed Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign. Platner, also a socialist, withdrew from the race after facing sexual misconduct allegations and criticism for past inflammatory statements and a tattoo some likened to a Nazi symbol.
During the debate, a moderator asked Raman, a Los Angeles City Council member and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Los Angeles chapter, if hiring the firm Fight Agency was a sound decision given its association with Platner.
Raman responded by stating she hired the firm for her paid advertisements and that it had also worked on the successful campaign of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, another DSA-backed politician. The audience reacted with audible groans and hisses. Raman defended the choice, emphasizing the firm's broader experience on successful campaigns across the city and her commitment to winning the mayoral race. She added that her campaign had invested in its team and that they had weighed the issues, momentarily stumbling over her words while stating, "We we we we weighed the issues."
When pressed by the moderator about whether she had considered the pros and cons of being associated with Platner's campaign, Raman affirmed that they had, but prioritized securing talented individuals for their advertising efforts.
Raman then pivoted to criticize incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, referencing a situation where an advisor to Bass was simultaneously engaged in crisis communications for a company facing scrutiny over a warehouse fire, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Raman called this a "a real, real, real problem."
In response, Bass stated that such a situation "should not have happened" and that the individual would no longer be advising her if she had known. Bass questioned the relevance of Raman's comment to the moderator's initial question.
Bass and Raman are competing in the race for Los Angeles mayor. Raman secured a spot on the November ballot after a close election result.