Democratic socialist Raman elected Los Angeles mayor in upset over Bass
Democratic socialist-backed candidate Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Karen Bass in a closely fought race for Los Angeles mayor. Bass conceded on Thursday to one of the latest among a new wave of fast-rising democratic socialists and progressives who have dethroned centrist politicians in recent elections across the country. Raman, a city council member, advocate for the homeless and onetime ally…
Democratic socialist Nithya Raman triumphed over incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral election, marking a significant upset. Raman, a city council member and advocate for the homeless, is the first Los Angeles mayor to defeat an incumbent since 2005. The India-born urban planner, who first won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, faced criticism from Bass, the first woman elected mayor of the city, for her perceived lack of progress on affordable housing.
Raman vowed to build affordable housing, create parks, and improve the transit system in her victory speech. The issue of homelessness, with over 44,000 people counted as homeless in the city, was a major focus of the campaign. Bass, who had pledged to make fighting homelessness a top priority, faced criticism for the city's handling of the deadly and destructive Palisades and Eaton fires in 2025.
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- Nithya Raman: Who is the Indian-born politician tipped to become next Los Angeles mayor? thenationalnews.com
- Who is Nithya Raman, the democratic socialist who will be Los Angeles’s next mayor? theguardian.com
- 2026 midterms: Nithya Raman's win in Los Angeles signals the rise of a new left in the United States lemonde.fr
