Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman announced her candidacy for mayor of L.A. on Saturday, joining a crowded field hours before the noon deadline for candidates to file paperwork for the June 2 primary.
Raman says she and Mayor Karen Bass, who is seeking reelection, share many of the same values, but Raman says she’s focused on affordability and housing for L.A. residents.
For weeks, it looked like Bass might head into the primary without a major challenge, but just hours before the deadline, one of her own colleagues on the city council jumped in. With the primary just a few months away, candidates have a relatively short window to build support, raise money and win endorsements — which makes a late entry like this one a much steeper climb…