Nithya Raman defeats incumbent Karen Bass as Los Angeles voters reject the old guard
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Progressive councilmember Nithya Raman won 52% of the vote, unseating Mayor Karen Bass and becoming the city’s first South Asian mayor in a victory fueled by demands for bolder housing and social policy.
Progressive Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, securing about 52 percent of the vote and positioning herself to become the first South Asian mayor of the United States’ second-largest city. Raman, 45, overcame Bass despite the latter’s backing from prominent Democrats including Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Raman’s campaign received support from the Democratic Socialists of America, reflecting a broader surge in visibility for the movement in recent elections. In her victory speech, she pledged to restore what she described as an "ambitious, creative and entrepreneurial" Los Angeles, expand affordable housing, improve city services and adopt a new approach to homelessness by deploying additional medical teams. She also called for replacing the city’s police chief over concerns about cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The win makes Bass the first Los Angeles mayor in more than two decades to lose a re-election bid, a sign that voters are demanding something beyond cautious, establishment politics. Bass, who served as the city’s first Black woman mayor, congratulated Raman and said she would work toward a smooth transition. Los Angeles, home to more than 3.8 million residents, also prepares for the 2028 Olympic Games scheduled to open in July.