Nithya Raman Defeats Karen Bass in Los Angeles Mayoral Election

Councilmember Nithya Raman is set to become the next mayor of Los Angeles after defeating incumbent Karen Bass, according to projections from CBS News. This victory marks a significant win for Democrats following strong nationwide performances in the recent election.

Raman, a Democratic socialist, gained a lead over Spencer Pratt in the June primary but faced challenges shortly before the election. Despite these issues, she managed to secure enough support to win against Bass.

A survey conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the Los Angeles Times indicated a close race, with both Bass and Raman receiving 40% support among likely voters as the election approached. Following the primary, they emerged as frontrunners, significantly ahead of the third-place candidate, Spencer Pratt.

Many Pratt supporters, who initially backed him in the primary, shifted their allegiance to Bass, increasing her support to 41%, up from 22%, stated Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS poll.

In the same period, Raman’s support among Pratt’s base dropped slightly from 16% to 14%. However, a considerable portion of Pratt’s supporters, 45%, remained undecided just before the election.

Councilmember Nithya Raman

Raman announced her surprise candidacy for mayor in February after having initially endorsed Bass. During the primary, Raman considered her campaign a long shot but managed to surpass Pratt and face Bass in the general election.

Before being elected to the LA City Council in 2020, Raman was active in homelessness advocacy. She served as co-chair of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Homelessness Committee and co-founded a nonprofit focused on homeless advocacy.

In 2025, one of her notable actions was introducing a motion to limit annual rent increases for tenants in older rent-stabilized apartments, which passed by a 13-2 vote. Raman aims to replicate similar initiatives to benefit small businesses.

Mayor Karen Bass

Bass, after more than 20 years in public office, stated this would be her last campaign. Raised in LA, she began her career as a nurse and later founded the Community Coalition, an organization tackling substance abuse and crime in South LA.

Her political career started in 2004 as a California Assembly member, becoming the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of a state legislative body. She served in Congress for 12 years before becoming LA’s mayor.

Before the primary, Bass gained backing from key political figures, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Notably, Rick Caruso, a billionaire who previously opposed her, also endorsed her for the November race, urging people to prioritize the future of LA over past conflicts.

For the love of LA, I must focus on the future, Caruso said on social media, expressing concerns about Raman not rooted in ideology but in competency.