Nithya Raman Faces Scrutiny Over Ties to Democratic Socialists of America

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has declined to specify her alignment with certain aspects of the Democratic Socialists of America's (DSA) agenda, a move her critics argue is evasive. Raman, a member of DSA-LA, has received endorsements from the organization for her previous City Council runs in 2020 and 2024, and most recently for her mayoral campaign in September.

The DSA's platform, as outlined in its "Democratic Socialist Program" for Los Angeles, includes policies such as the expropriation of privately owned housing, the creative use of eminent domain to transition housing out of private ownership, and the implementation of universal rent control. The program also advocates for reducing the number of sworn police officers, replacing them with civilians for tasks like traffic enforcement and mental health interventions, and redirecting police funding. Additionally, it supports decriminalizing drug use, funding safe-injection sites, establishing city-owned businesses in sectors like groceries and restaurants, providing fare-free public transportation, and expanding noncitizen voting in local elections.

According to the DSA-LA's rules, candidates seeking their endorsement are expected to "commit to our Program." The organization has stated it will "throw the full weight of our power" behind its chosen candidate.

The California Post submitted 16 questions to Raman's campaign regarding her stance on specific DSA platform items, including eminent domain for housing, police funding, drug decriminalization, and noncitizen voting. The campaign did not respond to any of these inquiries.

Raman has previously demonstrated an ability to distance herself from DSA-LA's positions. Following the October 7 Hamas attack, she criticized a DSA-LA statement for what she described as a failure to acknowledge the "horrors committed by Hamas" and being "unacceptably devoid of empathy for communities in Israel." DSA-LA subsequently censured Raman after she accepted an endorsement from Democrats for Israel-Los Angeles, though they continued to support her candidacy.

While Raman has acknowledged sharing the DSA's focus on the working class, she has also stated, "I don’t always agree with my allies on how to accomplish our goals." Despite this, upon receiving the DSA-LA endorsement for mayor, Raman welcomed it, expressing pride that the organization was joining her "broad coalition."

The article argues that if Raman wishes for voters to differentiate her agenda from the DSA's, the responsibility lies with her to articulate those distinctions. Los Angeles voters, it suggests, deserve clarity from a candidate seeking to lead their city, and Raman's refusal to answer specific questions is characterized as a lack of transparency and a disregard for voter trust.