Indian American Nithya Raman Faces Political Divisions, AI Controversy in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

LOS ANGELES–Indian American Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is entering the final week of her campaign against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass amid tensions with national Democratic Socialist leaders, a major endorsement for her opponent and allegations involving an AI-generated voice impersonating her.

Raman, a Los Angeles City Council member, is seeking to unseat Bass in the November 3 election. Although recent polls have shown Raman leading, the campaign has become increasingly contentious as both candidates compete for support in the final days before voting.

Billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, announced Monday that he would support the incumbent despite their previous political rivalry.

“For the love of LA, I must put the past behind me because this election must be about our future…I will be casting my ballot for Mayor Karen Bass,” Caruso said in a video posted on X, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Caruso cited concerns about Raman’s ability to lead the city.

“It is not so much about ideology, but about competence,” he said.

Asked by FOX 11 whether his endorsement represented opposition to Raman, Caruso emphasized that his decision was based on his assessment of Bass.

“No, it’s a vote for Bass. I’m voting for her because I think she’s going to do a better job than Raman going forward,” he said.

Bass welcomed the endorsement, saying she was “honored to receive his support”.

Raman’s campaign responded by directing CBS Los Angeles to an earlier endorsement from Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, a prominent local elected official.

Meanwhile, Raman’s campaign has filed complaints against Thrive LA, a super PAC supporting Bass, over an AI-generated voice used in a political messaging campaign.

The complaints, submitted Monday to the California Fair Political Practices Commission and the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, concern signs advertising a telephone number under the name “Nithya Raman Realty.”

Callers dialing the number reportedly hear an artificial intelligence-generated voice that imitates Raman and speaks as though it were the candidate.

When FOX 11 called the number, the voice stated: “I’m as imaginary as my campaign promises.”

Raman’s campaign alleges that the use of the synthetic voice violates California laws governing deceptive election media and disclosure of AI-generated political content.

The allegations have not been adjudicated by state or local authorities.

“It’s both sad and illegal for Karen Bass’ conservative allies to be cloning Nithya’s voice, manufacturing her words, and hiding who is paying for it, all to deceive voters,” Raman campaign spokesperson Liz Garcia said.

Thrive LA rejected the allegations, arguing that the recording constitutes protected political satire.

“AI was a tool to express our First Amendment right for political satire,” Thrive LA executive director Ana Dahan told FOX 11. “Nobody would believe it’s a real human being.”

The controversy comes as Raman faces a separate dispute within the Democratic Socialists of America over her position on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel.

Although the organization’s Los Angeles chapter endorsed Raman by a vote of 937 to 484, with 52 abstentions, national leaders have questioned whether she meets the group’s expectations regarding the movement.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the DSA’s National Political Committee approved resolutions Monday calling for an October 31 meeting with Raman to assess her position.

If Raman does not “provide clear and unequivocal commitments”, the committee could vote to withdraw its endorsement.

Another resolution indicated that the organization could move toward expelling Raman if she fails to support BDS and condemn weapons shipments through Los Angeles International Airport by January 1.

The dispute has exposed divisions between local DSA members who support Raman and national leaders seeking stronger commitments on issues involving Israel.

“We are disappointed that the members of the NPC passed their resolutions without reading the materials we sent them,” DSA-LA co-chair Leslie Chang told the Times.

Raman has sought to distinguish her approach to progressive politics by focusing on municipal services and everyday concerns facing Los Angeles residents.

In an interview with Axios, she characterized her philosophy as “sewer socialism” or “pothole politics.”

“I just want government to work for the people,” Raman said.

Despite the controversies, recent surveys have indicated that Raman holds an advantage over Bass.

A September poll conducted by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies for the Los Angeles Times showed Raman receiving 39% support, compared with 28% for Bass, while 33% of respondents remained undecided.

A separate Manhattan Institute poll showed Raman leading Bass by 38% to 32%, according to Axios.

Born in India, Raman immigrated to the United States as a child and later entered Los Angeles politics.

If elected on November 3, she would become the first Indian American to serve as mayor of Los Angeles, marking a significant milestone for the city’s Indian American community. (Source: IANS)