LOS ANGELES (Diya TV) — Nithya Raman defeated Mayor Karen Bass to become Los Angeles’ next mayor, making her the city’s first South Asian mayor. Bass conceded Thursday, and the Associated Press projected Raman as the winner. The latest county tally gave Raman 429,450 votes, or 52.1%, to Bass’ 394,796, or 47.9%. Election officials continue counting ballots, so the totals remain unofficial.
Raman’s victory ends Bass’ bid for a second term and makes her the first Los Angeles mayor in two decades to lose reelection. It also caps an unusual campaign between two former political allies. Raman endorsed Bass before entering the race herself in February, just hours before the filing deadline. She said Los Angeles had reached a breaking point and called for new leadership at City Hall.
The race centered on homelessness, housing costs, public safety and the city’s delivery of basic services. Raman criticized Bass’ homelessness response as costly and ineffective. She proposed putting stronger oversight and measurable results at the center of city spending, expanding medical outreach to people living on the streets and moving more residents into permanent housing. She also pledged to reduce street homelessness by half by the 2028 Olympics.
Raman campaigned on increasing housing construction and improving services such as streetlight, sidewalk and pothole repairs. She also promised to replace Police Chief Jim McDonnell, arguing that he had lost public trust over the department’s handling of federal immigration enforcement and protests. Bass defended her public safety record and portrayed Raman’s positions on policing and homelessness as too extreme.
The deadly 2025 Palisades Fire became a defining issue for Bass’ first term. She was out of the country when the fire began, and the city’s preparation and response drew scrutiny. Bass also faced persistent criticism over homelessness and city services. Raman made the fire part of a broader argument that City Hall had failed to respond effectively to residents’ concerns.
The candidates drew support from different parts of the political landscape. Bass won endorsements from Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and major local political groups. Raman secured backing from the Democratic Socialists of America, City Controller Kenneth Mejia and advocacy organizations. Mejia’s support aligned with Raman’s calls for greater scrutiny of the city’s homelessness spending.
Raman, 45, is an urban planner who was born in India and moved to the United States as a child. She won a City Council seat in 2020, becoming the first South Asian and first Asian American woman to serve on the council. Before entering electoral politics, she organized around homelessness in her neighborhood and co-founded a local homeless services coalition.
In her victory statement, Raman thanked her supporters, praised Bass’ decades of public service and said she would work to earn the trust of Angelenos. She will take office in December.
