Nithya Raman Courts Hollywood at Bloomberg Screentime, Leads Karen Bass in L.A. Mayoral Polls

At the Bloomberg Screentime conference on Thursday, Los Angeles City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman pitched herself to entertainment industry leaders as the best advocate for Hollywood, pledging to push for improved tax credits in Sacramento and to create a city film commissioner. Raman, whose husband Vali Chandrasekaran has written for Modern Family and 30 Rock, argued that incumbent Karen Bass has fallen short on production issues. She cited the recent Baywatch shoot, which was complicated by overlapping city and county jurisdictions, as an example of why a commissioner is needed. Raman also addressed the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, saying the deal is essentially done and that she wants David Ellison’s committed production dollars spent in Los Angeles, not just anywhere in America. She acknowledged industry job losses, noting friends of her husband leaving the business or the city. In the general election, Raman leads Bass by at least 15 points in most surveys and is drawing support from voters who backed Spencer Pratt in the primary. She distanced herself from the Democratic Socialists of America, despite being a member since 2019, and said her tax-credit stance conflicts with DSA positions. Hollywood support has split: Adam Scott and Mindy Kaling back Raman, while J.J. Abrams and Samuel L. Jackson support Bass.