LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman announced the start of her reelection campaign Monday for Council District 4.
Raman was elected to represent the Fourth District in 2020 after defeating incumbent David Ryu. In just over two years in office, Raman said in a statement that she transformed her “district’s approach to homelessness” by doubling shelter capacity; achieved the Fourth District’s first reduction in street homelessness in half a decade in the last Homeless Count; secured the “most significant” expansion for renters’ rights since the Rent Stabilization Ordinance in 1979; and led the passage of legislation committing the city to “carbon-free” new construction.
The councilwoman serves as the chair of the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and as a mayoral appointee to the boards of the Southern California Air Quality Management District and the LA County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency.
Raman announced several endorsements as she began her campaign for reelection.
Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that she and Raman have “locked arms” to address the city’s homelessness problem with urgency.
“I know firsthand how effective she is, both in bringing people safely indoors within her district and in pioneering policies to keep people housed all across our city,” Bass said in a statement.
Bass described Raman as a “perfect example” of the type of person who should run for public office and added that Raman is a “vital partner” in moving the city of LA in a new direction on homelessness.
County Supervisor Hilda Solis called Raman a “problem solver” and a “vital collaborator” at the city on building mental health services and improving air quality. Solis, in a statement, said she endorsed Raman and looked forward to continuing their partnership.
State Sens. Caroline Menjivar and Ben Allen also endorsed Raman, along with Council members Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto- Martinez and Katy Yaroslavsky.
“The expertise, leadership and fresh perspective Nithya has brought to City Hall has expanded what’s possible in LA,” Harris-Dawson said in a statement. “Whether fighting for housing, tackling homelessness, or reforming government, I’m proud of what we’ve gotten done together and energized by what we can continue to do.”
Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former LA controller Wendy Greuel, former Councilman Mike Bonin and LAUSD Board President Jackie Goldberg also endorsed Raman’s reelection.