India-born politician Nithya Raman has won the Los Angeles mayoral election, defeating incumbent Karen Bass in a closely contested race that has brought a major change to the political leadership of America’s second-largest city. Raman’s victory marks a significant milestone for the Indian-origin community in the United States and makes her one of the latest progressive politicians to secure a prominent electoral position in the country.
Raman, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, defeated Bass in the November 3, 2026, election after a campaign focused on homelessness, affordable housing, public safety and improving basic civic services. Bass conceded the election on Thursday, November 5, congratulating Raman and promising to ensure a smooth transition of power.
According to the latest available Los Angeles County election results, Raman secured 52.70% of the vote, receiving 460,772 votes against Bass’s 413,519 votes, or 47.30%. The counting process was still underway as the results were updated, but Raman had established a clear lead.
The result is particularly significant because Bass becomes the first sitting Los Angeles mayor in more than two decades to lose a re-election contest. The last time an incumbent mayor was defeated was in 2005, when Antonio Villaraigosa defeated James Hahn.
Born in India, Nithya Raman moved to the United States as a child. She is an urban planner by profession and has built her political career around housing, homelessness and neighbourhood development.
Raman studied social studies and political theory at Harvard University before pursuing a master’s degree in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her academic background and experience in urban development have played an important role in shaping her political work.
Before entering electoral politics, Raman worked on community development initiatives and co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, an organisation focused on addressing homelessness in Los Angeles.
She entered the Los Angeles City Council in 2020 after defeating incumbent David Ryu in the city’s Third Council District. Her victory made her the first woman elected to represent the district.
During her time on the council, Raman focused on housing access, homelessness, neighbourhood infrastructure and public services. Her work gradually helped her establish a political base among progressive voters and community organisations.
Her victory in the mayoral election now takes her from city-level politics to the leadership of one of the most influential urban centres in the United States.
Raman’s decision to challenge Bass came as a surprise to several political observers. She had previously supported Bass but announced her own mayoral candidacy shortly before the February filing deadline.
The move created a contest between two politicians from the Democratic Party who represented different approaches to governing Los Angeles.
Bass, who became the city’s first Black woman mayor in 2022, entered the election seeking another term. She received support from several prominent Democratic leaders, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Raman, meanwhile, received backing from the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and several progressive organisations. Her campaign also attracted younger voters who wanted changes in the city’s approach to housing, homelessness and everyday civic problems.
Although initial election-night figures showed Bass with a narrow lead, subsequent ballot counting shifted the contest in Raman’s favour. Late-arriving mail-in ballots helped her build an advantage, eventually leading Bass to concede.
Raman’s campaign also drew comparisons with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani because of her progressive political positions and support from Democratic socialist groups. However, she has maintained her own political identity and focused on issues specific to Los Angeles.
Homelessness emerged as one of the central issues during the election campaign. Los Angeles has struggled with a prolonged housing affordability crisis, rising living costs and a large population experiencing homelessness.
Raman criticised the existing approach to the crisis and promised to expand efforts to move people from streets and encampments into housing. Her proposals include strengthening outreach and medical services for homeless residents and improving access to affordable homes.
She has also promised to address public safety concerns and improve basic municipal services, including repairing damaged roads, sidewalks and streetlights.
The January 2025 Palisades and Eaton wildfires also became an important issue in the election. The disasters killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures, intensifying questions about emergency preparedness and the city’s disaster response.
Bass faced criticism over the administration’s handling of the crisis, while Raman used the wider dissatisfaction with city services to make the case for a different approach to leadership.
Raman’s election victory comes with considerable expectations. She will have to address several interconnected challenges, including housing shortages, homelessness, public safety, infrastructure problems and the city’s financial pressures.
Her ability to turn campaign promises into practical policies will be closely watched by residents, businesses and political observers.
For the Indian-origin community, her rise to the mayor’s office is also a notable moment of representation in American public life. However, her immediate responsibility will be to govern a diverse city with competing priorities and ensure that her proposed changes translate into improvements in residents’ everyday lives.
With Bass conceding the contest, Los Angeles is preparing for a change in leadership. Raman’s victory represents both a political transition and an opportunity to reshape the city’s approach to some of its most persistent urban challenges.
