Nithya Raman wins LA mayoral race, becoming city’s first South Asian mayor

What the report says

Nithya Raman, a progressive Los Angeles City Council member backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, has defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the city’s mayoral race, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing the Associated Press. The result makes Raman the first South Asian person elected to lead Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States. The race was called on Thursday, with Raman holding a little over half the vote.

Raman, who was born in India and previously worked as an urban planner, entered the contest only months before the election after first supporting Bass’s re-election bid. Her victory adds to a wider set of gains for DSA-aligned candidates in the midterm cycle, which Al Jazeera noted has brought renewed visibility to the left-wing movement.

In her victory remarks, Raman said she wanted to reshape city government and address long-standing problems including homelessness, affordable housing and strained public services. She also said she wanted a different approach to homelessness that would rely more on medical outreach teams, and she raised concerns about the city police chief’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The win carries added significance because Los Angeles is preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games and continues to face major governance challenges. Bass, who had backing from prominent Democrats including California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, conceded after becoming the first Los Angeles mayor in nearly two decades to lose a re-election bid.