Nithya Raman Defeats Karen Bass to Become Los Angeles' First South Asian Mayor

Los Angeles politics shifted sharply on Thursday as Nithya Raman secured victory in the mayoral race, defeating incumbent Karen Bass. The Associated Press called the contest for Raman, who holds 52 percent of the reported vote. At 45 years old, Raman is set to become the first South Asian individual to lead the second-largest city in the United States.

Raman’s win occurred despite substantial support for Bass from major Democratic figures. California Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi all backed the incumbent. Raman, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, overtook her rival with the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America. This result aligns with a wider surge in electoral success for left-wing candidates during the recent midterm elections.

The DSA claimed credit for contributing to at least 300 candidacies or ballot referendums during the midterms. The organization stated it is on track to count 105 of those efforts as victories. Several of these wins included first terms in the U.S. House of Representatives for Darializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez, Melat Kiros, and Chris Rabb. Raman’s success follows the 2024 mayoral victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, another prominent democratic socialist.

Raman, who was born in India and worked as an urban planner before entering politics, had previously been an ally of Bass. She initially endorsed Bass’s re-election campaign but reversed her position in February, entering the race just hours before the filing deadline. In her victory speech, she addressed the crowd with a promise to restore what she described as an ambitious, creative, and entrepreneurial Los Angeles.

“For too long our broken and unjust status quo has convinced Angelenos that this is the best that we can do,” Raman said. She outlined a platform focused on expanding affordable housing and improving neglected city services. Her approach to homelessness involves deploying more medical teams to assist unhoused individuals. She also called for replacing the city’s police chief due to concerns regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Raman now faces the challenge of governing a city with a population exceeding 3.8 million people. The administration will also oversee preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games, which open in July. Bass became the first Los Angeles mayor in more than two decades to lose a re-election bid. Her four-year term faced criticism over the homelessness crisis and the response to the Palisades Fire, which devastated communities while she was overseas.

In a statement on Thursday, Bass congratulated Raman and pledged to ensure a smooth transition. “Four years ago, you elected me as the first Black woman mayor in the history of Los Angeles,” Bass wrote. “You gave me the honor of serving the city that raised me, and every single day since, I have carried that responsibility with me.”