India, Nov. 3 -- Kerala-born Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman is seeking to distinguish herself from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as she prepares for a November 3 mayoral runoff against incumbent Karen Bass.

Although the two politicians share several political similarities, Raman has pushed back against comparisons that portray her as a West Coast version of the Democratic Socialist leader.

She says her campaign is shaped by her own political journey and the everyday challenges confronting Los Angeles.

Raman and Mamdani have several things in common. Both have received backing from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), were born outside the United States into South Asian families and have used social media to bu...