By Mike Zonta, co-editor (and ChatGPT)
Me: Do you think Raman is the Mamdani of L.A.?
ChatGPT: If by “Raman” you mean Nithya Raman and by “Mamdani” you mean Zohran Mamdani, I’d say: yes and no.
In the broad political sense, Raman is probably the closest thing Los Angeles has to a Mamdani figure:
- Both have ties to the Democratic Socialists of America.
- Both emerged as insurgent candidates challenging more established Democratic figures.
- Both emphasize affordability, tenants’ rights, and making city government more responsive to ordinary residents.
- Both appeal to younger, progressive voters and many people frustrated with the status quo.
But there are important differences.
- Mamdani is more ideologically explicit. He openly embraces democratic socialism and has advanced bold proposals such as fare-free buses and publicly owned grocery stores.
- Raman is more pragmatic and technocratic. She is an urban planner by training and has often focused on the mechanics of governance: speeding housing production, reforming permitting, strengthening tenant protections, and improving homelessness policy.
- Housing is where Raman stands out. She has strong ties to the YIMBY (“Yes In My Backyard”) movement and has been more willing than many progressives to support increased housing construction, including private development.
- The political environments differ. New York has a comparatively strong mayoralty; Los Angeles gives more power to the City Council. So even if their philosophies overlapped perfectly, they would govern differently.
So my answer would be:
Raman is the Mamdani of L.A. in the sense that she represents a generational, progressive challenge to the Democratic establishment. But she is not simply “Mamdani West.” She is generally more incremental, more policy-focused, and more aligned with California’s pro-housing YIMBY politics.
Whether that distinction is a virtue or a drawback depends largely on what one is looking for in a mayor. Some supporters see Raman as a more practical version of Mamdani; some critics think she lacks his ideological clarity and charisma; others think the comparison itself obscures the fact that Los Angeles and New York face very different problems.
