Chuck DarwinNithya Raman filing papers on Saturday morning to
⭐️challenge Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in the
👉 June 2 election
hit like a political bombshell.
Text chains blew up with stunned variations of,
"I didn't see that coming!"
Everyone sought to determine what a run from someone on Bass' left will mean when election day arrives in, gulp, 💥 less than four months.
How this plays out remains to be seen.
But here are some initial takeaways.
This Is Great for Los Angeles!
Elections are best when they involve real choice.
Races where incumbents face no or only token opposition do little for constituents.
That was the case with the last two mayors seeking a second term.
Neither Eric #Garcetti in 2017, nor Antonio #Villaraigosa in 2009, was threatened.
The races were boring. Angelenos yawned.
For a moment it looked like the same thing would happen this year, as
Rick #Caruso,
Austin #Beutner and Lindsey #Horvath opted against running for various reasons.
Bass may briefly have envisioned coasting to term two.
#Raman does not arrive at this moment with decades in the game and deep connections in far-flung halls of power
-like #Bass when she entered the 2022 mayor's race.
But with five years on the council, progressive bona fides, and key positions including chairing the Council's Housing and Homelessness Committee,
✅ Raman will force Bass to defend her first-term record on everything from homelessness to housing construction to Palisades fire response.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-bass-raman-battle-is-great-for-los-angeles-and-other-mayor-s-race-reverberations/ar-AA1W0wHQ
News Beep