Nithya Raman has defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race, putting her on course to become the first South Asian to lead America’s second-largest city.
The Associated Press called the contest for Raman on Thursday, with the progressive Los Angeles City Council member holding 52 per cent of the vote. Her victory makes her the latest high-profile figure backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to win elected office.
Raman, 45, overcame support for Bass from prominent Democrats including California Governor Gavin Newsom, former vice-president Kamala Harris and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Her campaign had the backing of the DSA, which has reported a surge in candidates affiliated with or supported by the organisation winning office during Tuesday’s midterm elections. The movement has said it contributed to at least 300 candidacies or ballot referendums, with 105 expected to result in victories.
Raman’s win follows the election of another prominent democratic socialist, Zohran Mamdani, as mayor of New York last year.
Born in India, Raman worked as an urban planner before entering politics. She had initially endorsed Bass’s re-election campaign, but changed course and entered the mayoral contest in February, hours before the filing deadline.
Raman promises action on housing and homelessness
In her victory speech, Raman said she wanted to restore what she described as an ambitious, creative and entrepreneurial Los Angeles.
“For too long our broken and unjust status quo has convinced Angelenos that this is the best that we can do,” she told supporters.
She promised to increase affordable housing, improve neglected city services and change the city’s approach to homelessness by sending more medical teams to help people living without homes.
Raman also called for the replacement of Los Angeles’s police chief, citing concerns about co-operation with federal immigration authorities.
Her incoming administration will take responsibility for a city of more than 3.8 million people and will face the task of delivering on those pledges ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, which are due to open in July that year.
Bass is the first Los Angeles mayor in more than two decades to lose a re-election bid. Her four years in office were marked by criticism over the homelessness crisis and the city’s response to the deadly Palisades Fire, which broke out while she was overseas and devastated communities across the Los Angeles area.
In a statement, Bass congratulated Raman and said she was committed to ensuring a smooth transition.
“Four years ago, you elected me as the first Black woman mayor in the history of Los Angeles. You gave me the honour of serving the city that raised me, and every single day since, I have carried that responsibility with me,” she wrote.
“Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us.”
