L.A. Mayor-Elect Nithya Raman Kept DSA Endorsement by a Single Vote Over Israel Dispute
Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman came within a single vote of losing the Democratic Socialists of America's endorsement on the eve of the election, after national leaders revolted over her positions on Israel.
The DSA's National Political Committee voted 14-13 on Monday against rescinding Raman's endorsement, letting her keep the group's support one day before the November 3 election. It was about as close as a vote can get.
The razor-thin vote capped weeks of infighting between the DSA's national leadership and its Los Angeles chapter over whether Raman was sufficiently aligned with the group on Israel and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, known as BDS.
Raman, a City Council member and longtime DSA member, was challenging incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass.
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How the Fight Started
DSA-LA endorsed Raman in September after members voted 937-484 in her favor, giving her access to the group's volunteers and door-knocking operation in the final weeks of the race. Fifty-two members abstained.
The dispute centered on the DSA's "R22" resolution, which governs how chapters vet candidates on BDS before granting an endorsement.
But national rules require local chapters to ask candidates about their support for BDS before endorsing them. DSA-LA's questionnaire left that question out, prompting national officials to review the endorsement.
Raman's history with the group made things more complicated. She criticized the DSA's response to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and DSA-LA censured her in 2024 after she sought support from a pro-Israel organization.
She had previously said she did not personally support BDS. During the mayoral race, however, she called it a "legitimate form of peaceful protest" while saying it was not central to her platform.
Raman Moves Left
She then sent DSA officials stronger language. "I believe the best way for working Angelenos to stand in solidarity with Gaza is through non-violent protest, legislative action and diplomatic pressure, including BDS," Raman said.
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That was not enough for national leaders. They demanded more clarification, held an October 31 meeting with her, and sought a commitment to oppose weapons shipments to Israel through Los Angeles International Airport if she became mayor.
National officials warned that Raman could face discipline or even expulsion from the DSA if she failed to meet their demands on BDS and weapons shipments by January 1.
She also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel rejects, the California Post reported.
For her critics, the fact that Raman had to satisfy a socialist committee on Israel policy days before the election says a lot about where the left wing of Los Angeles politics now stands.
Local Chapter Relieved
Local DSA leaders strongly opposed the national intervention. "We're relieved that the NPC is honoring the will of our members," DSA-LA co-chair Leslie Chang said after the vote.
Raman became Los Angeles' first democratic socialist city official when she won her council seat in 2020, with the help of the movement that nearly abandoned her days before the mayoral election.
Even as DSA-LA volunteers knocked doors to put her in City Hall, her candidacy exposed significant disagreements within the movement over Israel and other policy questions.
The episode exposed deep divisions over Israel inside the socialist movement, and with a January 1 deadline still hanging over her, the fight may not be finished.