Nithya Raman elected Los Angeles mayor after defeating incumbent Karen Bass

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman has defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass to win the Los Angeles mayoral election, according to reports from MSNBC, Variety, Al Jazeera, and the Los Angeles Times. The Daily Mail and MSNBC reported that Bass conceded after Raman erased an earlier double-digit deficit, with MSNBC noting that Raman led by more than four percentage points with over 75 percent of the vote counted. The Daily Mail reported that Raman had a four-point margin, while also describing her victory as razor-thin. [2][3][4][5][6][7]

Raman won the election despite raising only half as much money as Bass, according to MSNBC. The Daily Mail attributed voter support to Raman's focus on the economy following Bass's tenure as mayor, during which Bass faced criticism over the management of devastating wildfires. Variety reported that Bass conceded the race, after which Raman released a video thanking Bass for her service and promising a city administration capable of delivering on affordable housing and other promises. [2][4][5][6]

The New York Post reported that Mayor-elect Raman is now selecting veteran City Hall insiders and former aides of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to help construct her administration. Garcetti served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 to 2022. Raman has served on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 4th district since 2020. [1][9][10]

Raman is an urban planner and a member of the Democratic Party and Democratic Socialists of America. Al Jazeera reported that she is the first South Asian mayor of Los Angeles, while Wikipedia notes she is the first Indian-American mayor-elect of the city. [6][7][10]