Politics

Nithya Raman Unseats Karen Bass as Los Angeles Mayor

Will this bring LA a necessary, bold housing agenda or turn the city into a disaster?

2 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

Nithya Raman Unseats Karen Bass as Los Angeles Mayor

Story

Above: LA Mayor-elect Nithya Raman in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. Image credit: Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images

The Facts

Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass conceded to challenger Nithya Raman on Thursday, saying she called Raman to congratulate her and committed to "ensuring a smooth and seamless transition." The Associated Press called the race as vote tallies continued to trickle in.
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
KTLA
Raman led Bass 52.1% to 47.9% with 76% of the expected vote counted, roughly a four-point margin. County election officials are scheduled to certify results on Nov. 27, and Raman's term begins Dec. 14, with mayors limited to two four-year terms.
USA Today
Newsweek
Raman said that she was "deeply honored" to be Los Angeles' next mayor, thanking Bass for decades of service after speaking with her. Raman is set to become the fourth Democratic Socialists of America member leading a major U.S. city.
Nithya Raman on X
FOX News on X
Raman is the first challenger to unseat a sitting Los Angeles mayor since 2005. None of her City Council colleagues endorsed her, though County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and City Controller Kenneth Mejia did.
The Hollywood Reporter
Los Angeles Times
Raman, 45, was born in India, holds degrees from Harvard and MIT and joined the City Council in 2020. She will be the first Asian American to lead California's most populous city and has campaigned on lowering housing costs and tenant protections.
Variety
Time
Bass' single term was marked by the 2025 Palisades fire, Hollywood job losses and questions about City Hall's ability to curb homelessness and fix potholes and streetlights. Early returns Wednesday had the two Democrats tightly matched.
USA Today
The Washington Post
Bloomberg

Sources Split

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The Spin

Democratic narrative

Los Angeles finally picked a mayor who treats housing scarcity as the root problem. Tripling production, cutting red tape and opening up single-family zones is the only honest path out of the affordability crisis. A hopeful, measurable agenda on this and numerous other issues beats four years of drift on what ails the city — a sea change worth celebrating.

CalMatters

Abundant Housing LA on X

L.A. in a Minute on X

Republican narrative

Handing America's second-largest city to a council member with no executive experience and no clear agenda is a gamble Los Angeles can't afford. An understaffed police force facing the looming Olympics needs stability, not threats to oust the chief for ideological points. Taking potshots from the outside is easy, but running a city of millions is a whole other responsibility.

New York Post

Eric Daugherty on X

NBC Los Angeles

Narrative C

The voters have spoken even though Bass offered the experience and institutional backing Raman, who couldn't even get her city council colleagues' endorsement, lacked. They cited concerns over reliability and effectiveness and she further dug a hole by struggling under questioning related to issues she wants to tackle. She has a lot of work to do to overcome her inexperience.