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Nithya Raman Defeats Mayor Karen Bass to Become Los Angeles Mayor
Councilmember Nithya Raman defeats Mayor Karen Bass to become Los Angeles mayor, AP calls race.
Key points
- The Associated Press called the race Thursday, with Raman at 52.1% to Bass's 47.9%.
- Raman led by 4.2 percentage points with roughly 76% of the expected vote counted.
- Raman is the second Democratic Socialists of America member to lead a major U.S. city.
Why it matters. Raman may need to build a council majority from a body that largely backed Bass, and she could inherit a $20 million-plus liability tied to a 398-home club plan.
The Associated Press called the race Thursday for City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who took 52.1% of the vote to 47.9% for incumbent Karen Bass. With roughly 76% of the expected vote counted, Raman led by 4.2 percentage points and becomes the second Democratic Socialists of America member to lead a major U.S. city. Bass conceded and promised a 'smooth and seamless transition,' becoming the first Los Angeles mayor in two decades to lose a reelection bid.
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Nithya Raman Defeats Mayor Karen Bass to Become Los Angeles Mayor
City Councilmember Nithya Raman defeated Mayor Karen Bass to become the 44th mayor of Los Angeles, according to a race call by the Associated Press on Thursday. With roughly 76% of the expected vote counted, Raman led 52.1% to 47.9%, a margin of 4.2 percentage points. Bass becomes the first Los Angeles mayor in two decades to lose reelection. Raman, an urban planner and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, ran on a platform backed by pro-housing "yes in my backyard" groups. The result signals that housing policy was a decisive issue for voters in the city.