Raman wins LA mayoral race with 52% of the vote

Nithya Raman has won the election for Los Angeles mayor, defeating incumbent Karen Bass with 52% of the vote against Bass's 48% in the final count. The result marks the first time an incumbent mayor has been removed from office in nearly 25 years. Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, becomes the first South Asian mayor of the city. She was first elected to the City Council in 2020.

Bass conceded the race on Thursday morning. In a video statement, Raman described the victory as a "deeply honored" moment and thanked volunteers for their door knocking and phone calls. She pledged to build affordable housing, create parks, improve transit, and make the city safer for working families. "And that work starts now," Raman said. "So that we can build housing that people can afford, parks for our children to play in, a transit system that can get people where they need to go, a city that is safe for its working people and its families, and a city government that is actually capable of delivering on its promises."

Bass, 73, accepted the outcome in a concession statement, calling it an honor to serve the city that raised her. She committed to a smooth transition and stated that the people of Los Angeles have spoken. "Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us," Bass said. She also credited her family for standing beside her through the challenges of the past four years.

The campaign featured a sharp generational divide. Polls indicated that younger voters strongly supported Raman, who is 45, while older voters favored Bass. A U.C. Berkeley and L.A. Times poll taken days before the election found that Raman enjoyed overwhelming support among voters aged 30 to 39. Bass drew much of her support from older demographics.

Raman filed to run for mayor on February 7, the last day possible, after seeing polls show Bass was highly unpopular. She had endorsed Bass just weeks earlier. No other major political figure, including billionaire developer Rick Caruso or County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, stepped up to challenge the incumbent. Raman defeated conservative television personality Spencer Pratt in the primary, where Pratt placed third. In the general election, Raman overcame the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the Chamber of Commerce, and the L.A. County Federation of Labor.

Outside spending was heavy on both sides. Independent expenditures totaled more than $16 million in support of Bass and against Raman, compared to $13 million for Raman and against Bass. Hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick poured more than $8.5 million into ads supporting Raman. He channeled some funds through Streets for All, a community group focused on bike lanes. Raman also relied on a large volunteer base, with more than 11,000 volunteers knocking on over 110,000 doors.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League ran negative ads against Raman, focusing on her opposition to an ordinance allowing police to remove homeless encampments near schools and daycare centers. Raman argued the program merely moved unhoused people down the street. Three major unions, including the Western States Council of Carpenters, UNITE HERE Local 11, and the United Auto Workers, broke with the Federation of Labor to back Raman.

Bass's popularity declined following the Palisades Fire, during which she was out of town and criticized for the Fire Department's response. The city also faced a homelessness crisis, with the latest count showing a rise in unhoused people after a two year drop. Audits revealed mismanagement of hundreds of millions of dollars by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, on whose board Bass sat until recently.

Raman enters the role with a narrow base of support in City Hall. All but one of her colleagues on the City Council backed Bass, including three DSA members. City Controller Kenneth Mejia was the only elected official at City Hall to endorse Raman. She may find an ally in the city attorney, a position currently being contested by Marissa Roy, who is backed by the DSA and currently leads John McKinney.

Raman, who was born in India and moved to Louisiana at age 6, holds a degree in social studies from Harvard and a master's in urban planning from M.I.T. She moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and founded a nonprofit neighborhood homeless services coalition. She previously served as executive director of Time's Up Entertainment. She is the mother of twin boys and the wife of a Hollywood screenwriter.