Nithya Raman, the Los Angeles City Councilmember turnedmayoral hopeful, recently collected several notable endorsements just weeks ahead of ballots being mailed out.
Earlier in September, Raman earned the endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles chapter — which she is a member of. The move signaled that enough members support Raman’s mayoral run and unlocked more assistance for her campaign, according to DSA-LA, as the November election creeps up.
DSA-LA hadn’t previously endorsed either Raman or fellow member Rae Huang, who ran for mayor in the primary election and who at times was positioned as the only progressive in the running.
The DSA-LA win for Raman followed endorsements from Unite Here Local 11, a union representing
thousands working in hotels, airports and sports arenas, and the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters.
“These three are all very politically astute organizations with a lot of resources,” said Fernando Guerra, professor and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. “How did they come to that decision? That should be worrisome to the Bass campaign.”
The endorsements came ahead of Labor Day, meaning they’ll “have enough time to mobilize and organize and be effective,” according to Guerra.
One endorsement to look out for: Major news organizations
One of the most important endorsements in local campaigns comes late in the race, according to Guerra — an endorsement from a local newspaper. Other late endorsements, such as “someone who has traditionally made an impact” or a “significant union,” can be important, he said.
Who is endorsing Bass? Who is endorsing Raman? An overview
Most of Los Angeles City Council, including its progressive members, have endorsed Bass, according to the mayor’s campaign announcements earlier this year.
Most of these councilmember endorsements were publicly unveiled during the primary election, some of which were shared just days after a key filing deadline for the mayoral race in February — a day shook up by Raman’s last-minute joining.
Many of Raman’s fellow councilmembers endorsed Bass prior to Raman’s eleventh-hour entrance, the city councilmember said when asked about the lack of endorsements she’s received from her colleagues.
“When you’re a councilmember, you have to work with the sitting mayor in order to get what you need for your constituents,” Raman said in her response in August.
Bass’ perspective: “She has no support from the councilmembers because nobody can work with her.”
Guerra said elected officials take several factors into consideration when deciding whether to endorse a candidate. Do we share the same values and policy positions? Is their base of support similar to mine, or supplements mine? Is this person likely to win? What are the costs of an endorsement? Who might I alienate?
One Los Angeles elected official has thrown his support behind Raman. That’s City Controller Kenneth Mejia, an incumbent who earned more votes than Bass, Raman or then-candidate Spencer Pratt, and who’s supportive of Raman’s approach to the city budget.
Raman has earned the endorsement of progressive organizations, including LA Forward, which said it supported Bass in 2022, and Our Revolution, which was founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Several organizations aiming to improve transportation and affordable housing have also endorsed Raman, including Streets For All and Abundant Housing LA.
Meanwhile, Bass has collected endorsements from members of Congress, the California State Legislature and elected officials serving Los Angeles County, according to her campaign's website. The Los Angeles mayor previously was elected to the House of Representatives and the California State Legislature.
Also backing Bass is Los Angeles Federation of Labor AFL-CIO; SEIU Local 721, a major union representing public sector workers across Southern California; SEIU Local 99, which represents thousands of people such as cafeteria workers, special education assistants and custodians; and other unions.
When’s the next LA mayor debate?
Bass and Raman are expected to take part in back-to-back conversations as part of the Jewish Los Angeles Mayoral Forum in West Los Angeles on Sept. 29, according to the Jewish Federation Los Angeles.
LA mayor race polls: What to know
More polls will likely be released as the November election gets closer.
In August, the Los Angeles Times reported that a poll showing Bass leading by nearly 12 percentage points over Raman was actually fake in an incident that stirred headlines about the race.
Bass finished in the primary with about 34% of the vote compared to Raman’s 29%.
When do ballots go out?
Ballots will start to be mailed out by Oct. 5.
When is the LA mayor election?
The election for Los Angeles mayor will be held on Nov. 3.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ballots go out soon. Who is backing who in the LA mayor race?
