Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman has emerged as one of the biggest winners of California’s closely watched 2026 primary elections, advancing to a November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
Raman, who became the first South Asian woman elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, edged out reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the dramatic vote count.
Read more: California primary results 2026: Did Spencer Pratt win? Latest as Nithya Raman closes gap for LA mayor runoff spot
Who is Nithya Raman’s husband?
Raman is married to Vali Chandrasekaran, a television screenwriter and producer known for his work in Hollywood comedy. Chandrasekaran has written and produced episodes for several popular television series, including the NBC sitcom 30 Rock and Modern Family.
Chandrasekaran has been nominated for several Emmys, Writers’ Guild Awards and NAACP Image Awards.
Chandrasekaran describes himself as a Bob Dylan fan. According to the writer’s blog, “He has a mental disorder that causes him to listen to and talk too much about Bob Dylan.”
Chandrasekaran and Raman are both graduates of Harvard University, where they first crossed paths before pursuing their respective careers.
The couple lives in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood, an area represented by Raman during her tenure on the City Council. In his blog, Chandrasekaran wrote, “He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and twin elementary-schoolers.”