Nithya Raman Defeats Karen Bass to Become Los Angeles Mayor

Nithya Raman has been elected as the mayor of Los Angeles, securing a narrow victory over incumbent Karen Bass in a significant shift for local politics. The outcome reflects a growing sense of dissatisfaction among residents regarding the current direction of the city. Raman, a progressive urban planner who has served on the Los Angeles City Council since 2020, entered the race with little fanfare earlier in the year. She filed her paperwork just hours before the deadline, shortly after having endorsed Bass for re-election, which led many to view her candidacy as a long shot.

Despite her late entry, Raman’s poll numbers surged over the summer. Her campaign received strong backing from the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, and she frequently drew comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City. By Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported that Bass had called Raman to concede. The final returns showed Raman leading with just over 52 percent of the vote, compared to Bass’s 48 percent.

The election took place following a historic night for Democrats nationally, who regained control of both the House and the Senate in a rebuke of President Donald Trump and his party. However, the Los Angeles contest was unique. Both candidates are progressives, but the race devolved into a bitter struggle between different generations and factions within the party. Bass, who had never lost an election before, faced significant headwinds. Her approval ratings were low, matching those of the president, while residents expressed frustration over the state of the city and a wave of anti-establishment sentiment swept through US politics.

Los Angeles continues to grapple with major challenges, including persistent homelessness, rising costs, and housing affordability issues. Additionally, the region has been heavily impacted by the Trump administration’s deportation campaign, the Hollywood industry is struggling, and the city faces a substantial budget shortfall. Raman positioned herself as the candidate capable of meeting this moment with honesty and urgency. Her platform focused on lowering rents, improving city streets, reducing homelessness, and enhancing public safety.

Raman’s path to victory was not without obstacles. She struggled in the primary election, where large unions and key portions of the liberal base had already aligned with Bass. She was also overshadowed by the showy campaign of Spencer Pratt, a former reality television star and registered Republican. Pratt decided to run after losing his home in the Palisades fire. He launched viral campaign ads criticizing both the mayor and Raman, arguing that Bass was mismanaging the city and that officials had failed to adequately prepare for the fire or support recovery efforts.

Raman managed to narrowly defeat Pratt in the primary and quickly gained momentum. A significant boost to her campaign came from the endorsement of the local DSA chapter, of which she is a longtime member. This support mobilized a large network of volunteers to canvass the city. Although national DSA leaders briefly considered rescinding the endorsement until Raman clarified her position on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, a vote on the matter ultimately failed, keeping the support intact.

As autumn progressed, Bass intensified her criticism of Raman, which narrowed the lead. However, Raman ultimately prevailed by winning support from voters across the city. Supporters celebrated at an event outside the Greek Theatre on Tuesday night. Max Rico, a high school teacher in South Central Los Angeles, expressed hope that Raman would pull ahead as ballots from young voters were tallied. Rico, who was wearing a Halloween ballot box costume, said he was previously a Bass supporter but was disappointed by her tenure. He cited her failure to help communities in need and expressed excitement about Raman’s positions on affordable housing, noting that he often sees students leave mid-year as families relocate to cheaper areas. He stated, “Hopefully we can keep more families here.”