Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral race, unseating Karen Bass

The Democratic socialist city councilmember, who was once seen as a long shot, becomes the city's first South Asian mayor.

By idly intel

6 Nov, 06:05 IST2 min read

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Written by idly intel with AI help from several outlets' reporting, and checked before it goes live. How idly works

Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral race, unseating Karen Bass — Image: Al Jazeera

Key facts

Story

Nithya Raman, a Democratic socialist city councilmember, defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
The election closed on 3 November, alongside US midterm races; the result was narrow, and Raman entered the race only…
Raman is India-born and the first South Asian to be elected Los Angeles mayor, and her win extends the Democratic…

Nithya Raman, a Democratic socialist and member of the Los Angeles City Council, has won the city's mayoral race, defeating incumbent Karen Bass by a narrow margin.

Raman, an urban planner who has sat on the council since 2020, entered the race earlier this year, just hours before the filing deadline. She had endorsed Bass for re-election shortly before joining the contest. Her campaign was once seen as a long shot. The election concluded on 3 November, and the result was announced early on 6 November.

Raman's victory is a major shake-up in local politics. Commentators said it reflects growing unhappiness with the direction of the city, which has a population of nearly 4 million. Raman is India-born and is the first South Asian to lead the city.

A wider wave for the left

The result is seen as a boost for the Democratic Socialists of America, the group that backed Zohran Mamdani's win as mayor of New York last year. Raman's win means the two largest cities in the US and the capital, Washington DC, now all have Democratic socialist mayors. The Democratic Socialists of America said more than 50 candidates it backed won races at national, state and local levels in the same election, and five of its candidates were elected to the US House of Representatives.

Raman's campaign is also being watched as a test of how far the movement can go in urban America. Her win offers a sign of the internal debates that may shape the Democratic Party before the 2028 presidential election.

What comes next

Raman has said she will focus on homelessness and affordable housing. Reports have not said when she will take office, or how she plans to work with the city council. It is also not yet clear how the Democratic Party leadership will respond to her win.