Washington, October 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian-American Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has apologised for invoking former police chief Daryl Gates, while securing the endorsement of Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath ahead of the November 3 election.
Raman apologised privately to a South Los Angeles community group and also addressed the controversy on a podcast, according to a report by Politico’s California Playbook newsletter on Wednesday.
Her remarks sparked controversy in the contest against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. Gates, who headed the Los Angeles Police Department during the 1992 riots, remains a divisive figure in the city, particularly in South Los Angeles.
In a separate development, Horvath endorsed Raman on October 20, according to the Los Angeles Times. Horvath is the only member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to back Raman, giving the City Council member a prominent political ally in her bid to unseat Bass.
Businessman Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, praised the incumbent but stopped short of endorsing either candidate. He also criticised Raman’s proposal to remove Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Policing has emerged as a major dividing line in the campaign, with critics of Raman’s proposal arguing that the department needs stability in its leadership.
Raman has also called for an audit of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, as high utility bills become a key election issue.
The 11-day in-person voting period is scheduled to begin on October 24, ahead of election day on November 3.
Born in Kerala and raised partly in Zambia before moving to the United States as a child, Raman was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, becoming its first Indian-American and Asian-American woman member.
Her campaign has focused on homelessness, housing affordability and city services. Bass, meanwhile, has highlighted efforts to reduce street homelessness and the city’s recovery from the January 2025 wildfires, including those in Pacific Palisades.
If elected, Raman would become the first Indian-American mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States.
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