Nithya Raman defeats Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in narrow mayoral upset

Bass conceded as returns gave Raman just over 52% of the vote

Nithya Raman, a Democratic socialist member of the Los Angeles City Council, was elected mayor of Los Angeles, eking out a narrow win over incumbent Karen Bass in a result the Guardian described as a major shake-up in local politics that reflects growing dissatisfaction with the direction of the city. The defeat landed on a mayor who had never previously lost an election, at the hands of a challenger once viewed as a long shot.

Bass called Raman to concede the race on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported, with returns showing Raman leading with just over 52% of the votes to Bass’s 48%.

Raman, a progressive urban planner who has served on the city council since 2020, caused a stir when she entered the race earlier this year hours before the filing deadline — and shortly after endorsing Bass for re-election. Her campaign was once viewed as a long shot.

She shot up in the polls over the summer and, with support from the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, frequently drew comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor.

Her win came after a historic midterm election night for Democrats across the United States, who won control of the House and Senate in what the Guardian characterized as a rebuke of Donald Trump and his party. The contest in deep-blue Los Angeles stood apart: Raman and Bass are both progressives, and the race pitted two candidates representing different generations and frequently clashing wings of the party against each other.

Bass had never before lost an election, but she faced a difficult road to a second term. Her approval ratings were low and on par with Donald Trump’s, Angelenos voiced frustration about the state of the city, and what the Guardian described as a wave of anti-establishment sentiment has swept US politics.

The election unfolded as Los Angeles grappled with significant challenges, including frustration over homelessness as well as rising costs and housing affordability. The Trump administration’s deportation campaign hit the region hard, Hollywood is struggling, and the city faces a huge budget shortfall.

Raman pitched herself to voters as the candidate who could “meet this moment with honesty and urgency” while lowering rents, improving city streets, reducing homelessness and keeping Angelenos safe.

Her path through the primary was harder. Key portions of the city’s liberal base and large unions had already aligned with Bass, and Raman was overshadowed by Spencer Pratt’s showy campaign. She managed to narrowly beat Pratt in the primary, then began gaining headway.

Pratt, a former reality TV star and registered Republican, entered the race after losing his home in the Palisades fire. He ran splashy, viral campaign ads critical of both the mayor and Raman, and became a frequent thorn in Bass’s side, arguing that she was mismanaging the city and that officials had failed to adequately prepare for the fire and were falling short in recovery efforts.

Raman’s campaign received a significant boost from the endorsement of the Los Angeles chapter of the DSA, of which she was a longtime member. The support brought a large network of volunteers who knocked on doors for her across the city. Shortly before the election, the organization’s national leaders considered rescinding the chapter’s support until Raman stated her position on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, but a vote on the matter ultimately failed.

As fall progressed, Bass’s campaign intensified its criticism of Raman and narrowed her lead. Raman ultimately prevailed after winning support from voters across Los Angeles.

Raman spoke to the crowd gathered at her election party at the Greek Theater on Tuesday night, as supporters celebrated and cheered outside the venue. Max Rico, a high school teacher in South Central Los Angeles, said he felt hopeful that Raman would pull ahead as ballots from young voters were tallied.

Rico, who was wearing a ballot box costume from Halloween, had previously supported Bass but was left disappointed by her tenure, saying her policies did not help the communities that needed it. He said he was most excited about Raman’s positions on affordable housing: as a teacher, he had frequently seen students leave mid-year as their families relocated to areas with lower costs of living. “Hopefully we can keep more families here,” he said.