Nithya Raman Wins L.A. Mayor’s Race as Karen Bass Concedes

Nithya Raman will be the next mayor of Los Angeles, as incumbent Karen Bass conceded defeat after a hard-fought campaign.

“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken,” Bass said in a statement. “I have called Councilmember Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory, and I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us.”

Raman surprised the City Hall establishment by entering the race at the last minute in February, and appeared likely to finish third behind reality star Spencer Pratt through much of the primary. But she was able to rally enough voters fed up with Bass and open to a Democratic alternative.

Early tallies on election night saw Bass with a slender lead over Raman — but not nearly enough of a margin to account for Raman’s strength with late-arriving ballots, which skew toward young voters and renters. Raman took the lead late on election night and the margin has continued to grow.

As of the update on Thursday morning, Raman held a 4.2% lead over Bass — with many thousands of ballots still to count.

Bass sought to focus on public safety, warning that Raman had opposed police funding and was against anti-camping zones. Raman, meanwhile, argued that the city needed fresh leadership that was not captive to relationships at City Hall.

Raman led in several polls taken during the fall. But a Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll on Oct. 28 showed the two candidates tied, with both earning 40% of voters’ support.

On Tuesday night, shortly after 11 p.m., Raman addressed her supporters at her election-night event in the plaza of L.A.’s Greek Theatre. “I’m very hopeful,” she told the crowd.

Raman first joined the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, becoming the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian ever to serve. She was re-elected for a second term in 2024. Raman holds degrees from Harvard and MIT, and worked as an urban planner before turning her focus to politics. She also served as the co-chair of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Homelessness Committee and co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition.

During her campaign, Raman was particularly popular among the Hollywood set, earning endorsements and contributions from Tina Fey, Adam Scott, Mindy Kaling, Mike Schur, Colin Jost, Nicholas Stoller, Cord Jefferson, David Mandel, and others.

Bass, who has served as Los Angeles’ mayor since 2022, faced considerable challenges in winning back voters who were upset about homelessness, civic disorder and her handling of the 2025 Palisades fire.