Just days before Election Day, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman unexpectedly pulled out of a scheduled interview with a local television station, citing an unexpected “tongue injury.”
The Democratic socialist was set to appear on KTLA on Wednesday, but the station reported that her team withdrew their participation later in the day, claiming she had bitten her tongue.
During the broadcast, KTLA anchor Micah Ohlman explained, “Tonight, City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman was supposed to join us in the studio. However, her team canceled this afternoon, citing a tongue injury.”
Ohlman also noted that the station has repeatedly invited Mayor Karen Bass to participate in the show, but she has declined each offer.
The Post attempted to contact Raman for a statement, but has not received a response.
With the primary election on June 2 fast approaching, candidates Bass, Raman, and reality TV personality Spencer Pratt are vying to stand out in the competitive race.
The three candidates are all within spitting distance of each other, with Bass and Raman separated by only one point and Pratt currently sitting slightly behind in third.
Bass is currently favored at 26%, with the DSA-linked candidate picking up 25% of the vote and Pratt not far behind at 22%, according to a new UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll released Thursday.
The poll signals a major momentum shift for both Raman and Pratt, who each jumped eight percentage points since March, while Bass remained relatively flat.
Raman has attacked the incumbent candidate on her “Inside Safe” homelessness program, criticizing the initiative as ineffective and expensive, while Pratt continues hammer Bass over her handling of the Palisades Fire and pledges to expedite rebuilding for the thousands of people who lost their homes.
Bass on the other hand has called out Raman for not being able to work across the aisle in City Hall, and questioned whether being a reality TV star qualifies someone for the role of mayor — voters will make that decision in a few days.
