‘City of immigrants’: Who is Nithya Raman, the Los Angeles mayor-elect?

What the report says

Nithya Raman has been projected to become mayor of Los Angeles, giving the city its first Asian-American leader and adding another high-profile win for the Democratic Socialists of America. Al Jazeera reported that the 45-year-old Indian-born urban planner, who moved to the United States as a child, told supporters she was moved by the idea that Angelenos elected an immigrant at this moment in U.S. history.

Raman’s victory comes amid a broader Democratic sweep in the U.S. midterm elections, and it places her among a small group of South Asian-origin leaders heading major global cities. The report also noted that New York, Los Angeles and London are now led by figures of South Asian descent, with comparisons drawn to New York mayor Zohran Mamdani and London mayor Sadiq Khan.

According to the article, Raman built her reputation through housing and homelessness work before entering electoral politics. She studied at Harvard and MIT, worked on urban governance initiatives in Chennai, and later co-founded a Los Angeles nonprofit supporting people experiencing homelessness. In 2019, she won a City Council seat by unseating an incumbent, and this year she entered the mayoral race late, eventually defeating establishment backing for incumbent Karen Bass.

Her campaign centered on expanding affordable housing, addressing homelessness, and protecting immigrants. Al Jazeera reported that she has promised a more aggressive response to encampments, stronger housing investment, and a tougher stance on federal immigration raids. The result matters because Los Angeles faces a long-running housing and homelessness crisis, and Raman’s win signals continued momentum for progressive urban politics.