Students gathered at Diddy Riese on May 26 for a meet and greet with Los Angeles mayoral candidate and City Councilmember Nithya Raman.

Bruin Democrats, who endorsed Raman earlier in May, hosted the event. Raman will face incumbent Karen Bass, Donald Trump-endorsed reality television star Spencer Pratt and 11 other candidates in the June 2 primary.

The top two candidates will advance to a November runoff, unless a candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.

“I used to spend a lot of time on UCLA’s campus, so I’m really excited to be back talking with students,” Raman said in an interview. “We have UCLA interns in our office all the time, and I love their energy and their sense of purpose, and I’m just excited to be engaging with students today.”

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Raman, who is among the highest-polling candidates in the primary, had support from 25% of likely voters, while Bass received support from 26% and Pratt received 22%.

Bass is running to build on work in her first term, including by increasing housing and reducing crime rates, according to her campaign website.

Pratt, who lost his family home in the January 2025 Palisades fire, plans to focus on rebuilding efforts by streamlining the permitting process. Pratt also plans to address homelessness in LA by focusing on mental health and drug addiction, according to his website.

Lillian Barrett, the president of Bruin Democrats, said she is excited about Raman’s housing and transit policies.

As mayor, Raman plans to open new Metro lines across the city and prioritize expanding transit into the East San Fernando Valley, according to her website. She also plans to issue an executive directive limiting how long the city can wait before approving housing projects, according to the site.

Barrett, a second-year political science student, added that she would like the next mayor of LA to address affordability.

“LA is hard to afford sometimes, especially as students,” Barrett said. “You see dorm prices going up, it’s hard to find a good rent in Westwood and then everything’s just getting more expensive.”

Barrett said as student organizers, members of Bruin Democrats were inspired by Raman’s grassroots campaign. Raman does not take corporate PAC donations, according to posts made on her social media accounts.

Adam Peddie, the external vice president of Bruin Democrats, said Raman was instrumental in helping the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, which allows more homes to be built near major public transportation stops.

“With that kind of a pro-housing vision, which is really absent from City Hall right now, there can be major, major changes to move LA away from being known for its unaffordable housing,” said Peddie, a third-year history student.

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Cole Hoyle, the political director of Bruin Democrats, said public transit is an important issue because he believes the existing infrastructure in LA could be improved. Hoyle, a third-year history and political science student, added that Raman’s support for expanding the city’s accessibility to public transit is a key aspect of her campaign.

Many politicians overlook college students – something Hoyle said he believes comes from a misconception that young people are not motivated to vote. Raman’s willingness to speak with UCLA students about the issues that matter to them made an impact on him, he added.

“It really speaks to Nithya Raman’s support for policy that will actually benefit young people and working people,” Hoyle said.