NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Los Angeles, CA, November 5, 2026: Nithya Raman is projected to become the next mayor of Los Angeles after defeating incumbent Karen Bass, marking a historic political breakthrough in the nation’s second-largest city.
Decision Desk HQ called the race Wednesday evening, November 4, with Raman leading Bass by approximately 26,000 votes, or about three percentage points, out of 784,262 votes cast, according to The Hill. The results remain subject to official certification.
Raman, 45, a Democrat and member of the Los Angeles City Council, is poised to become the first Indian American woman to serve as mayor of Los Angeles. Her projected victory also ends Bass’s tenure after a single term and represents a major political upset against an incumbent with decades of experience in state and national politics.
Born in Kerala, India, Raman immigrated to the United States with her family when she was six years old. She went on to graduate from Harvard University and earn a master’s degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Before entering American politics, Raman worked on urban development and housing issues in India, including efforts to improve living conditions in low-income neighborhoods in Delhi. Her early professional experience helped shape her interest in housing, poverty and the challenges faced by underserved urban communities.
Raman moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and became involved in neighborhood organizing and homelessness advocacy. She co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, a volunteer-driven organization focused on providing assistance and services to people experiencing homelessness.
Her political career began with an unexpected victory in 2020, when she defeated incumbent City Council member David Ryu. The election made her the first South Asian and first Asian American woman to serve on the Los Angeles City Council. She was reelected in March 2024.
Representing the city’s Fourth Council District, Raman established herself as an advocate for affordable housing, tenant protections, homelessness services and climate action. She also chaired the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and became associated with the city’s progressive political movement.
Her decision to challenge Bass came as a surprise in February 2026, particularly because the two had previously been political allies. Raman had supported Bass in earlier elections, and Bass had backed Raman’s reelection to the City Council.
Raman entered the mayoral contest shortly before the filing deadline, arguing that Los Angeles needed new leadership to address its persistent problems with homelessness, housing affordability, public services and emergency preparedness.
The campaign unfolded against growing criticism of Bass’s handling of several city challenges, including the devastating 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire, homelessness and concerns about municipal services.
Bass, 73, a former member of Congress and California state legislator, defended her administration’s record, pointing to progress in reducing violent crime, accelerating affordable housing construction and decreasing unsheltered homelessness.
Raman, meanwhile, campaigned on promises to improve basic city services, strengthen accountability in homelessness programs and reduce the number of people living on the streets. She pledged to cut street homelessness by at least half before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The race also highlighted divisions within Los Angeles’s Democratic political establishment. Bass enjoyed support from established Democratic leaders and labor organizations, while Raman drew backing from progressive groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America, housing advocates and transportation reform organizations.
Public safety became another major issue. Raman criticized the leadership of Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell and called for changes in the department’s approach to policing and immigration enforcement. Bass defended the chief and emphasized stability in public safety leadership ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
The contest tightened considerably in its final weeks. An October poll conducted by the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies for the Los Angeles Times showed the candidates tied at 40 percent among likely voters.
Raman’s projected victory adds another milestone to the growing political representation of Indian Americans in the United States, where candidates of Indian origin have increasingly won offices at the local, state and federal levels.
Raman lives in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles with her husband, Vali Chandrasekaran, and their twins, Karna and Kaveri.
As mayor, she will inherit responsibility for addressing Los Angeles’s housing and homelessness crises, managing public safety and city finances, and preparing the city to host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
