Raman’s deeply progressive campaign against incumbent David Ryu has attracted significant attention in recent months, garnering a coveted endorsement from Bernie Sanders. Raman’s policies on climate change and immigration are progressive even by L.A. standards, but perhaps the most striking element of her campaign has been her ability to mobilize volunteers in a pandemic. (…)

“If we can just educate people about the power of City Hall and why it matters, then we can actually create a movement locally that ensures that City Hall reflects our values and our incredibly pressing needs, which have become so much more acute during COVID-19,” Raman [said].

“Unlike many status quo politicians, Raman and her team surrounded themselves with a network of community organizations they trusted to inform their strategies for tackling L.A.’s most pressing issues (…)

The resulting policies on Raman’s platform feel, to many longtime residents, like warm commitments to healthier, more sustainable communities. They include plans to turn rent forgiveness into reality, and to build a public broadband infrastructure.

“One of the reasons we put such detailed policies out there was because we wanted people to get excited about it,” Raman explains. “The idea that policy proposals coming from a candidate — not even from an incumbent — can influence policy making in the City Hall…if that’s happening, that’s incredible.””

“(A)s Ryu fights to keep his seat against Raman, he is clearly running a different campaign than five years ago or even five months ago, when L.A.'s police union shelled out nearly $45,000 in independent spending to support him (…)

“We live in a city where almost every politician calls themselves a progressive,” yet “you often see a disconnect” with the policies emerging from City Hall, Raman said. In March, she forced Ryu into a November runoff by winning 41% of the vote to his nearly 45% — a feat that was even more remarkable because Ryu outspent her by more than 3 to 1.”

“For the first time, L.A.’s local elections this year will coincide with the presidential vote. Raman is hoping to galvanize that energy and turn out residents who don’t typically think about local races, including younger voters and renters (…)

In an interview, Raman says that recent racial justice protests have focused voters’ attention on how urban planning has “kept people of color, Black Americans, out of neighborhoods.”

“People were making connections between injustice and the practices of local government in ways I hadn’t seen before,” she says.”

“Of the 15 current members of the Los Angeles City Council, at least 11 have received campaign support from the Los Angeles Protective League, the union representing the LAPD. Do you think accepting those kinds of donations are ethical?:

“I look at a recent measure, which was put on the ballot in 2017, which was measure C, which I believe every council member voted yes to and put it on the ballot. This was a ballot measure that the ACLU opposed, the LA Times opposed. This was essentially a ballot measure to change the way in which police officers are held accountable.

I think that this kind of measure (...) takes accountability away from the police, which does not work towards better outcomes for social justice and the kinds of things that people are fighting for now. This is what happens when you have police union involvement in the city elections.”“

“Ryu remains emblematic of the death grip that business and the real estate industry has on the city’s politicians. Despite vocally pledging to eschew contributions from developers, he used loopholes to keep taking their cash. Last year, he proposed a set of reforms that the California Clean Money Campaign and others called “worse than not passing anything at all.” (…)

If Raman wins, she just might have the capacity to transform her district: creating robust neighborhood associations and community access centers, opening up her council office to act as a hub for residents, and treating unhoused residents as neighbors and constituents rather than undesirables. Raman is fighting for codified sanctuary city status, a housing guarantee, and a just transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy for California by 2030. She has detailed policy plans on revising planning codes, bringing back single room occupancy housing, and changing the county’s water usage. “

“His opponent, former nonprofit executive Nithya Raman, contends that Ryu has not been effective at pushing through more meaningful proposals to fight corruption, including one that would prohibit any contributor that is not a human being — such as corporations, labor unions and other groups — from making donations to candidates for mayor, council and other city offices.

Ryu has failed to mobilize the public to pressure his colleagues to enact such changes, she argued.

“When he cites his record on these issues, he’s often citing a record of failure,” Raman said, arguing that the restrictions on developer donations passed by the council were “riddled with loopholes.” (…)

Raman has also sworn off donations from corporations and other groups and said Ryu isn’t “walking the walk” by doing the same.” 

A clue to the answer might be found in the results of Tuesday's primary competition in Los Angeles' 4th City Council District.

Homelessness and sky-high housing costs figured prominently in the race to represent a wealthy slice of Los Angeles that stretches from Sherman Oaks to Silver Lake to the Miracle Mile. (…)

[Ryu] outraised Raman roughly four to one for a total of more than $1 million in contributions. His election night party at a restaurant on the Sunset Strip was attended by regional board members, volunteers, union brass and political veterans. (…)

By contrast, Raman raised about $270,000. Her campaign relied on a coalition of volunteer organizers and canvassers who, she said, knocked on almost 80,000 doors in the district.

““What we’ve created in L.A. is not a system that is designed to help people,” said Raman, who more recently headed the women’s rights group Time’s Up Entertainment. As a candidate, she is calling for a network of “community access centers” where homeless people can consult with case managers and get food, medical care and other assistance.”

Among the dozens of donations that his rivals have called into question are those from companies linked to Dae Yong Lee, who until recently was seeking to overhaul a Little Tokyo mall; a real estate investment company called First Serrano Apartment LLC; and the head of a Beverly Hills company specializing in commercial property. (…)

Ryu, who has pushed to clamp down on developer donations at City Hall, said his campaign was adhering to his pledge but that some contributions had escaped its notice. After getting questions from The Times, his campaign said it would refund a dozen donations, including those from the Beverly Hills company head, First Serrano Apartment LLC, and two companies linked to Dae Yong Lee.

“Ryu has faced criticism for receiving donations affiliated with the real estate industry, despite making a pledge not to accept contributions from developers and supporting a push for taxpayer funded elections in City Hall. (...)

Ryu, elected in 2015 as an outsider candidate, overwhelmingly leads the pack of three candidates in funds available. According to L.A. City Ethics Commission data, Ryu has $1,085,720.81 total fundraised — over three times that of his challengers.”

“I’m so proud that our own Nithya Raman is among the man women who’ve seized this historic moment by running for office. Under Nithya’s leadership, Time’s Up Entertainment has grown to be a force to be reckoned with and we’re greatly indebted to her integrity, strategic thinking, and fearlessness,” Time’s Up interim CEO Rebecca Goldman said in a statement. “While we’re sad to see her go, we’re thrilled to see Nithya bring those talents to bear as she runs for City Council. Time’s Up continues to be inspired by Nithya’s leadership and we have no doubt she will continue the work of fighting for women’s power, safety, and equity.”

“I don’t think, given the limitations we’ve set on who we are willing to take money from, that we will ever be able to bridge that [funding] gap,” said Raman. “[W]e’re raising at an incredible pace (…) from people who believe in the values of the campaign.”

According to Raman, those values include finding solutions to the city’s housing and homelessness crises (…) and prioritizing “the people of Los Angeles and not those who seek to profit from our city.”

“Raman ultimately believes the city of Los Angeles has a lot of power to move toward sustainability and justice, but city leaders are not doing enough to use those powers (…)

She also hopes her grassroots-based campaign will both keep her connected to the city’s residents and carry her to victory (…)

“We’re really trying to engage residents in L.A. in a way they haven’t been engaged before,” Raman said.”

Ryu ran as an outsider in his first council quest, but a look at his fundraising, available through documents filed with the City Ethics Commission, shows that he is now the consummate City Hall insider—he has gobbled up an astounding $786,000; the next highest figure for any council candidate is District 14 hopeful Kevin de Léon, who’s raised $488,000, a fraction of Ryu’s tally. (...)

Raman formerly worked for the City Administrative Officer, and recently served as executive director of the women’s rights organization Time’s Up Entertainment. The Silver Lake resident’s website notes that she has a Masters degree in urban planning from MIT. She addressed homelessness while working for the CAO, and an ad on her website proclaims that “It’s time for a rent freeze” in Los Angeles.