Indian-American politician Nithya Raman has defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral election, marking a significant development in the city’s political landscape. Raman, who has served on the Los Angeles City Council since winning her first election in 2020, entered the mayoral contest in February despite having publicly expressed support for Bass just weeks earlier. The election highlighted contrasting political visions, with homelessness, affordable housing, and public safety emerging as central campaign issues.
The candidates attracted support from different political organizations. Bass received endorsements from influential groups, including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the county’s Democratic Party. Raman, meanwhile, secured backing from the Democratic Socialists of America and transportation advocacy organization Streets For All. Their campaign strategies also reflected different voter priorities. Bass focused on older residents, visiting senior centers in neighborhoods such as Northridge and West Adams. Raman concentrated on younger voters, engaging with communities at bars, nightclubs, and college campuses while advocating a change in City Hall leadership.
Homelessness became one of the election’s defining issues. Bass highlighted her administration’s efforts to expand housing assistance and reduce violent crime, claiming that the city’s homeless population had declined by 11 percent. Raman challenged the effectiveness and expense of existing policies, promising to halve street homelessness during her first four years and eliminate the problem by summer 2028. A Berkeley IGS and Los Angeles Times survey conducted October 19–25 found that approximately 40 percent of likely voters considered reducing homeless encampments a major priority.
Born in Kerala in 1981, Raman moved to the United States at six and became a citizen at 22. She studied at Harvard University and earned a master’s degree in urban planning from MIT. Before entering politics, she founded Transparent Chennai, an organization focused on improving urban infrastructure and civic services. At her election-night gathering outside the Greek Theatre, Raman expressed optimism but initially avoided declaring victory, asking supporters to remain calm.
