Los Angeles voters witnessed a tense moment at the recent mayoral debate when City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Los Angeles chapter, was questioned about her decision to retain the consulting firm Fight Agency. The firm previously managed the campaign of Graham Platner, a former Maine Senate primary winner who stepped down in July after multiple sexual misconduct allegations surfaced.
Audience reaction to the firm’s history
The moderator asked Raman, “It was reported that you hired the same political consulting firm that managed Graham Platner’s campaign in Maine, who had to resign amidst sexual assault allegations. Is that true? And is that the best choice?” As Raman explained that the firm also worked on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s successful New York City mayoral campaign, several hundred attendees responded with audible moans and hisses.
Raman’s defense
Raman emphasized that the agency has a record of “many, many other successful campaigns across the entire city” and stressed her commitment to winning the mayoral race. She said, “We have retained most of our good campaign staff and invested in our team so we can win this seat.” When pressed about weighing the pros and cons of being associated with Platner’s campaign, Raman replied, “Absolutely. But we wanted to make sure that we were hiring good people to make our ads.” She added that the decision was based on talent and experience, stumbling briefly before saying, “We we we weighed the issues.”
Mayor Karen Bass’s response
Following Raman’s remarks, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass was questioned about a recent controversy involving an advisor who performed crisis‑communications work for a company under scrutiny after a major warehouse fire in Los Angeles. Bass called the situation “a real problem” and admitted that, had she known, she would have removed the advisor. When the moderator asked Bass whether the incident reflected poor judgment, Bass answered, “Absolutely not,” and noted it should not have happened.
Implications for the race
The debate highlighted the growing scrutiny of candidate affiliations and the importance of perceived integrity in a citywide race. Raman secured a place on the November ballot after narrowly defeating Republican candidate Spencer Pratt in a late‑stage surge. Both Raman and Bass are now preparing for a November runoff that will determine who leads America’s second‑largest city.
Background on Graham Platner
Graham Platner, a self‑identified socialist, won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Maine before withdrawing amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Prior to the allegations, Platner attracted controversy for inflammatory statements and a chest tattoo critics said resembled a known extremist symbol. He continues to deny the allegations, but his association remains a point of contention for many Democrats.
Fox News Digital reached out to Raman, Bass, Platner, the DSA, and Mamdani’s office for comment. No additional statements were provided at the time of publication.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
