Indian-origin candidate Nithya Raman edges ahead in Los Angeles mayoral race as Karen Bass faces voter backlash
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Preliminary results show Nithya Raman ahead with about 51.7% of the vote, while incumbent Mayor Karen Bass remains in contention as one-third of ballots are still uncounted, in a race shaped by homelessness, housing, and public safety failures.
Preliminary vote tallies indicate that Indian-origin councilmember Nithya Raman has taken a narrow lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race, with Raman holding roughly 51.7% of the counted votes, according to the Associated Press. About one-third of the ballots remain to be counted, leaving the final outcome uncertain and underscoring how deeply frustrated voters are with the city’s political establishment.
Raman, 45, has centered her campaign on confronting homelessness, expanding healthcare services for people living on the streets, and increasing affordable housing after years of worsening inequality. She has pledged to cut the number of people sleeping in tents and encampments by at least half by 2028 and has called for changes to the police department’s size and leadership, though she recently clarified that the department should remain at its current size.
Mayor Bass, 73, highlighted her administration’s efforts to clear encampments and place thousands of homeless individuals into shelters, while acknowledging challenges with program retention. She has advocated for hiring additional police officers and has defended the city’s 2023 police contract, despite growing criticism that these measures have failed to meaningfully solve the crisis.
Both candidates are Democrats. Bass is supported by Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and most members of the city council. Raman’s endorsements include advocacy groups such as Our Revolution and the Sierra Club, though she lacks backing from prominent local elected officials, reflecting the divide between grassroots organizing and entrenched power.
A recent Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll found that roughly 40% of likely voters consider reducing homeless encampments a top priority for the next mayor, with about 30% prioritizing public safety and affordable housing, a sign that people want concrete action rather than more empty promises.
"We will achieve victory. I love Los Angeles," Bass said at a campaign rally.
"Homelessness is rising despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent. Storefronts are closing," Raman said during the televised debate, adding that Bass had been "missing in action."