Nithya Raman Beats Incumbent Karen Bass in Los Angeles Mayoral Race
Los Angeles has a new mayor-elect. City Councilmember Nithya Raman secured a victory over incumbent Karen Bass, with the race officially called on Thursday. The outcome changes Los Angeles City Hall, following a campaign where Raman positioned herself as a candidate for change.
The path to this moment ran through a political landscape that began months prior. Back in the June 2 primary, Karen Bass held the upper hand, securing 34% of the vote while Nithya Raman trailed with 29%. Yet the dynamic shifted. A poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, initially showed Raman leading Bass by 11 percentage points. Bass managed to completely erase that deficit in the final week before the election, pulling even with Raman at 40% support among likely Los Angeles voters.
A Progressive Platform Defeats the Incumbent
Despite the late surge by the incumbent, voters ultimately broke for Raman’s platform. Throughout the race, Raman argued that Bass had not done enough during her time as mayor. Her campaign rested on a progressive agenda focused on expanding housing, protecting renters, and getting United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement out of L.A.
The competition tested the political machinery of the city’s current leadership against a growing appetite for a different municipal direction. As the current city councilmember for District 4, Raman will leave a vacancy that will likely trigger a special election.
“[Bass] has given decades of her life to making this city what it is today,” Raman said in a victory video posted online. “From her time as an emergency room nurse, to starting Community Coalition, to her leadership in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., and then becoming the first woman mayor of Los Angeles.”
The Transition and What Lies Ahead
Following the race being called, Bass conceded on Thursday, acknowledging the hard-fought contest and pledging cooperation for the sake of the city.
“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken,” Bass said in a statement. “I have called Councilmember Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory, and I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us.”
Raman responded to her supporters and critics alike in her video address.
“To every voter who voted for Mayor Bass or chose not to vote at all, just know this: I am going to City Hall to work every single day to earn your trust, and to earn your trust in this city again.”
Per the Los Angeles Charter and Administrative Code, Raman will officially begin her term as mayor on the second Monday of December, Dec. 14.
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Indian-American Nithya Raman becomes the next mayor of Los Angeles, defeating incumbent Karen Bass in a mayoral race. pic.twitter.com/qUPlK3PTzv
