Los Angeles, October 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian American Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is facing mounting political challenges in the final week before the November 3 election, including a dispute with national Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) leaders over Israel policy, an endorsement for incumbent Karen Bass by billionaire developer Rick Caruso, and complaints over an AI-generated voice impersonating Raman.
Caruso, who lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, announced on Monday that he would vote for the incumbent, arguing that she would do a better job than Raman. Bass welcomed his support, while Raman’s campaign pointed to an earlier endorsement from Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
The Raman campaign has also filed complaints with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission against Thrive LA, a super PAC supporting Bass. The complaints concern a phone line advertised as “Nithya Raman Realty”, where callers hear an AI-generated voice speaking as Raman and mocking her campaign promises.
Raman’s campaign alleges the line violates laws governing deceptive election communications and AI disclosure. Thrive LA executive director Ana Dahan defended it as political satire protected by the First Amendment, saying nobody would mistake the voice for a real person. The complaints remain allegations and have not been adjudicated.
Meanwhile, Raman faces pressure from DSA national leaders over her position on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Although the organisation’s Los Angeles chapter endorsed her by 937 votes to 484, with 52 abstentions, national leaders have approved resolutions calling for a meeting with Raman on October 31 to assess her position.
According to reports, the national committee could vote to rescind the endorsement if Raman does not provide what it considers clear commitments on BDS. A separate resolution also raises the possibility of a vote on expulsion if she has not expressed support for BDS and condemned weapons shipments out of Los Angeles International Airport by January 1.
Raman has emphasised her focus on local governance, describing her approach as “sewer socialism” or “pothole politics” and saying she wants government to work for residents.
Polling has shown her ahead of Bass in two surveys. A September Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll put Raman at 39 per cent and Bass at 28 per cent, with 33 per cent undecided. A Manhattan Institute survey showed Raman leading 38 per cent to 32 per cent.
Born in India and raised in the United States, Raman would become Los Angeles’ first Indian American mayor if elected.
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