Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman has won election as the city’s next mayor, defeating incumbent Karen Bass and becoming the first mayoral challenger to unseat a sitting mayor in Los Angeles since 2005.
Raman, a Democratic Socialist, released a video statement after the race was called. “Los Angeles, I’m deeply honored to be your next mayor,” she said. “Thank you to the thousands of people who knocked on doors, sent texts, made phone calls, convinced their neighbors to believe in the promise of this big, beautiful, joyful city that we get to call home.”
Bass conceded defeat just before midday Thursday. “While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken,” she said in a statement. “I have called Council member 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.”
Bass, who made history four years ago as the first Black woman elected mayor of Los Angeles, reflected on her tenure. “Four years ago, you elected as the first Black woman mayor in the history of Los Angeles. You gave me the honor of serving the city that raised me, and every single day since, I have carried that responsibility with me,” she said. “I love Los Angeles. I believe in Los Angeles. And I will continue to ensure the promise of a better life belongs to all of us. Thank you.”
A Tight Race to the Finish
Bass held a narrow lead when early ballot tallies were released Tuesday night, but Raman pulled ahead as election-day ballots were counted and extended her lead with each subsequent ballot drop. As of Thursday morning, more than 700,000 ballots remained to be tallied countywide, though it was unclear how many were cast by city voters.
A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, released last week, had shown both candidates tied at 40% support among likely voters, with 19% undecided. Bass had closed a gap that stood at 11 percentage points in a September poll showing Raman leading.
At a Tuesday night gathering in Hollywood, Bass addressed supporters with optimism, emphasizing what she viewed as accomplishments during her term and reaffirming her commitment to the city.
Reaction From City Hall and Labor
City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky congratulated Raman following the win. “Having served alongside Nithya on the City Council, I know how much she cared about our city and the people we represent,” Yaroslavsky said in a statement. “I also want to thank Mayor Karen Bass for her leadership and partnership over the past four years.”
“Los Angeles faces enormous challenges and opportunities,” Yaroslavsky added. “Meeting them will require all of us working together. Angelenos deserve nothing less. I look forward to working with the mayor-elect and my colleagues on the City Council to make housing more affordable, strengthen our neighborhoods, and make City Hall more effective, transparent and accountable.”
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents city police officers and had spent millions opposing Raman’s campaign while backing Bass, also issued a statement congratulating Raman. The union’s president, Ricky Mendoza, reached out to the mayor-elect to open a dialogue.
“Los Angeles police officers and others are filled with uncertainty and angst at the prospect of major cuts to the LAPD that will reverse the progress made in reducing crime. Mayor-elect Raman has stated that she does not want staffing levels to decrease from current levels, we share that goal and are committed to ensuring enough officers remain to keep our residents, the Olympics and our officers safe,” the union’s board said.
The police union also thanked Bass for her decades of public service.
A Campaign Fought Over Public Safety
Bass and political action committees supporting her focused their late-campaign messaging on Raman’s record on public safety, particularly her past call to remove LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, and sought to cast Raman as inexperienced.
Raman faced criticism during the campaign after saying the LAPD operated under a “gold standard” during former Chief Daryl Gates’ tenure. She later apologized, saying she had meant to reference Special Order 40, a policy limiting city police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Raman had campaigned on fixing what she called a “broken city” under Bass, criticizing the mayor over a billion-dollar police salary agreement and the cost of a downtown convention center modernization project. Bass had sought a second term to continue work on homelessness, housing, affordability and public safety — issues the two candidates clashed over repeatedly throughout the race.
The last time a sitting Los Angeles mayor lost a reelection bid to a City Council challenger was in 2005, when then-Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa defeated incumbent James K. Hahn.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login