City Councilwoman Nithya Raman said Wednesday that she’s hired Fight Agency to advise her mayoral campaign, partnering with the leftist consulting firm that helped propel New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to office but suffered a setback with scandal-plagued former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.
Established in January 2025, the agency gained political power after successfully guiding the campaigns of Mamdani and New York state Assemblywoman Graci Mansion. But the agency suffered criticisms after Platner’s campaign to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, failed amid the surfacing of sexual assault allegations, which Platner has denied.
Raman campaign officials first told LA Material, an online news publication, about the deal.
“We plan on working with Fight Agency. We understand that they had also been approached by other campaigns and committees involved in the LA mayor’s race,” according to a statement from Raman’s campaign.
Complicating the matter, Raman is seeking an endorsement from the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Hundreds of DSA members previously signed an open letter urging candidates and elected officials to stop working with Fight Agency, the New York Times reported.
Raman is challenging Mayor Karen Bass in the Nov. 3 election. Bass’ campaign quickly criticized Raman for working with Fight Agency.
“Nithya Raman’s decision to hire Fight Agency is a major liability for her candidacy and another example of putting her political ambition first. This is the firm that knew Graham Platner was accused of sexual assault but pushed his candidacy anyways, and faced widespread calls from the DSA to be cut off entirely,” Bass’ campaign spokesman Alex Stack said in a statement.