[Python] NameError: name '_mysql' is not defined Mac Django

I was trying to run python manage.py run server while working with Django after changing my settings.py from this:

DATABASES = {
'default': {
'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
}
}


to this:

DATABASES = {
'default': {
'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
'NAME': 'storefront',
}
}


But I was getting this error:

File "/Users/aditi/.local/share/virtualenvs/storefront-4vgosAeV/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py", line 16, in <module>
import MySQLdb as Database
File "/Users/aditi/.local/share/virtualenvs/storefront-4vgosAeV/lib/python3.12/site-packages/MySQLdb/__init__.py", line 24, in <module>
version_info, _mysql.version_info, _mysql.__file__
^^^^^^
NameError: name '_mysql' is not defined


This is what my __init__.py looks like:


try:
from MySQLdb.release import version_info
from . import _mysql

assert version_info == _mysql.version_info
except Exception:
raise ImportError(
"this is MySQLdb version {}, but _mysql is version {!r}\n_mysql: {!r}".format(
version_info, _mysql.version_info, _mysql.__file__
)
)


I downloaded MySQL from this link, the x86 DMG option: https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/

I have Sonoma 14.3. I am running Python 3.12.7. Please let me know how I can fix this error.

I tried adding this to my .zshrc file:

export PATH="/usr/local/mysql/bin:$PATH"



But it did not work.

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