Bass dropping Raman from board

When Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman launched her bid for mayor, her decision stunned many of the city's political players, in large part because she had endorsed Karen Bass' reelection a few weeks earlier.

- BY NOAH GOLDBERG AND DAVID ZAHNISER

CITY Councilmember Nithya Raman and Mayor Karen Bass at an event in 2023.

(BRIAN VAN DER BRUG Los Angeles Times)

Since Raman jumped into the race, those politicos have been searching for clues as to why Raman broke so completely with Bass, going from ally to opponent.

Now, an additional data point has emerged that, at minimum, signals that Bass and Raman were not as simpatico as they seemed.

In January, Bass quietly took steps to drop Raman from the powerful board that oversees the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Raman had been serving in that role since 2022, when she was appointed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti.Bass’ team said they notified Raman’s office on Jan. 16 that the mayor planned to select someone else to represent her on the AQMD’s 13-member board, which works to ensure that more than 17 million people across four counties — Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino — have cleaner air.

Raman’s term expired in January, and Bass has not announced a replacement. Until that happens, Raman will continue to serve in the post.

Bass spokesperson Amanda Crumley did not provide an explanation for Bass’ decision but said it was not prompted by any policy disagreements between the two.