Politics

Nithya Raman Wins Los Angeles Mayoral Race, Defeating Incumbent Karen Bass

By AFP

Democratic socialist Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Democrat Karen Bass to become the next mayor of Los Angeles. Raman, 45, announced her victory after preliminary results showed her with 52% of the vote to Bass’s 48%, with three‑quarters of ballots counted. "I’m deeply honored to be your next mayor," Raman said in a social media statement. "I love this city. I believe in its people. The work ahead will be hard, and change will take time. And together, we are going to build a future as extraordinary as the city we call home." Raman ran on a platform of "pothole politics," criticizing broken streetlights and sidewalks as failures of her predecessor’s leadership and appealing to younger voters over affordability. Her win adds to a series of victories for candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, who have elected left‑wing leaders in cities nationwide and in Congress. Raman, the first DSA‑affiliated Los Angeles City Council member, will lead the city as it prepares to host the 2028 Olympics. Bass, 73, was elected in 2022 as Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor and entered office with extensive state and federal experience. Her term faced setbacks, including criticism over her handling of deadly 2025 wildfires that occurred while she was traveling for the Biden administration. "While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken," Bass said in a statement. She called Raman to congratulate her and pledged a smooth transition. Raman entered the race late, initially supporting Bass’s re‑election before filing her own candidacy in the final hours before the deadline, a move that angered the city’s Democratic establishment. She told AFP that residents were dissatisfied with the "broken status quo" of Los Angeles. Raman did not declare victory on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as California’s slow ballot counting had not yet yielded a clear result, but she spoke to thousands of supporters and expressed confidence in her inevitable win. She said, "This city’s government has made solving problems look impossible for so long. Hopelessness can be fatal for a city, but this campaign refused to accept that." Raman’s rise reflects the momentum of young left‑wing candidates who aim to turn American cities into laboratories for progressive politics, following the example of Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York. Published – November 6, 2026 02:58 am IST