Representative image. Nithya Raman, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
Los Angeles is the second-largest US city and hosts the 2028 Olympics, so its mayor runs one of the most watched city governments in the world. Raman's win also shows the pull of left-wing city candidates in this election, a trend reports linked to New York's mayor.
India-born urban planner Nithya Raman has won the race for Los Angeles mayor, defeating the sitting mayor, Karen Bass, who called her on Thursday, 5 November 2026, to concede. Raman, 45, had 52% of the vote to Bass’s 48% with about three-quarters of ballots counted, the news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The Associated Press called the race for her the same day, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera described her as the first South Asian to lead Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States. She takes charge of a city of more than 3.8 million people that hosts the Olympic Games in July 2028.
How Nithya Raman won the Los Angeles mayor race
Raman was a late entrant. She had first endorsed Bass for re-election, then changed course and filed her own nomination in February, hours before the deadline, both AFP and Al Jazeera reported. AFP said the move angered the city’s Democratic establishment, which had lined up behind Bass.
She campaigned on what AFP called “pothole politics”: broken streetlights, cracked pavements and other city services, which she presented as failures of the current leadership. AFP said she drew heavily on younger voters angry about the cost of living.
Bass had the backing of prominent Democrats, among them California Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to Al Jazeera. Raman was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a left-wing group whose candidates have won a string of city and congressional races. She was the first DSA-affiliated member of the Los Angeles City Council, AFP reported.
California counts ballots slowly. Raman did not declare victory on election night, Tuesday, 3 November, though she addressed thousands of supporters, AFP said. The result became clear only on Thursday.
Los Angeles mayor result at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Winner | Nithya Raman, 45, city council member, born in India |
| Defeated | Karen Bass, 73, mayor since 2022 |
| Vote share | 52% to 48%, with about three-quarters counted (AFP) |
| Race called | Thursday, 5 November 2026, by the Associated Press (Al Jazeera) |
| City population | More than 3.8 million (Al Jazeera) |
What Raman and Bass said
“I’m deeply honored to be your next mayor,” Raman said in a social media statement, according to AFP. In her victory speech she said the city’s “broken and unjust status quo” had made people believe it could not do better, Al Jazeera reported.
Bass said in a statement that the people of Los Angeles had spoken, that she had called Raman to congratulate her, and that she would ensure a smooth transition, according to both reports. Bass was elected in 2022 as the first Black woman to be mayor of Los Angeles. Her term was marked by criticism over homelessness and her handling of the deadly Palisades Fire of 2025, which broke out while she was abroad, the reports said. Al Jazeera said she is the first Los Angeles mayor in more than two decades to lose a re-election bid.
What Nithya Raman has promised to do
In her victory speech Raman promised more affordable housing, better upkeep of neglected city services and a different approach to homelessness, sending more medical teams to help people living on the streets, Al Jazeera reported. She also called for replacing the city’s police chief, citing concerns about the police department’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Her win is part of a wider showing by the left in this week’s US midterm elections. The DSA says on its website that it worked on at least 300 candidacies and ballot measures and is on track to count 105 as wins, Al Jazeera reported; that is the group’s own count. Al Jazeera noted that Zohran Mamdani, also a democratic socialist, won the New York City mayor’s race last year, and AFP described his success as a blueprint for candidates like Raman.
Timeline of the race
- 2022: Karen Bass elected mayor of Los Angeles.
- February 2026: Raman, who had backed Bass, files to run, hours before the deadline.
- 3 November 2026: polling day in the US midterm elections; counting in California is slow.
- 5 November 2026: AP calls the race; Bass concedes.
- July 2028: Los Angeles hosts the Olympic Games.
For Indian readers, the result adds to the list of Indian-origin politicians who did well in this US election; our report on the overall US midterm results covers the others. The reports read did not say where in India Raman was born. Al Jazeera’s report is here.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Nithya Raman?
An India-born urban planner and Los Angeles City Council member, 45, who won the 2026 race for Los Angeles mayor backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
Who did Nithya Raman defeat?
The sitting mayor, Karen Bass, elected in 2022. Bass conceded on 5 November 2026 with Raman ahead 52% to 48%, AFP reported.
Is Nithya Raman the first Indian-origin mayor of Los Angeles?
Al Jazeera described her as the first South Asian to lead Los Angeles.