Nithya Raman Apologizes Over Daryl Gates Remark

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has apologized for invoking former police chief Daryl Gates while securing the endorsement of Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath days before in-person voting begins in the city’s November 3 election.

Raman apologized privately to a South Los Angeles community group and on a podcast for her reference to Gates, Politico’s California Playbook newsletter reported on October 21. Gates led the Los Angeles Police Department during the 1992 riots and remains a divisive figure in the city, particularly in South Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported on October 16.

Horvath, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, endorsed Raman on October 20, the Los Angeles Times reported. She is the only county supervisor to back Raman, giving the Los Angeles City Council member a prominent ally in her challenge to incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

Meanwhile, businessman Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, praised the incumbent but endorsed neither candidate. Caruso criticized Raman’s plan to remove Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, arguing that the department needs stability in its leadership, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Raman has also proposed an audit of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as high utility bills become a key campaign issue, ABC7 reported.

Los Angeles voters can begin casting ballots in person when 11-day vote centers open on October 24, ahead of the November 3 election.

Born in Kerala and raised partly in Zambia before moving to the US as a child, Raman was first elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, becoming the first Indian American and Asian American woman on the council.

She has positioned herself as a progressive challenger focused on homelessness, housing affordability and city services. Bass has highlighted her record on reducing street homelessness and the city’s recovery from the January 2025 wildfires, including those in Pacific Palisades.

A Raman victory would make her the first Indian American mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States. (IANS)