Kerala-born Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral race, makes history

Washington: Kerala-born Indian-origin politician Nithya Raman has won the Los Angeles mayoral election, defeating incumbent Mayor Karen Bass to become the next leader of the US city's second-largest metropolis.

The 45-year-old secured 51.67 per cent of the votes, against 48.33 per cent for Bass, according to figures released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. Raman received 405,193 votes, while Bass secured 379,069.

The victory marks a historic milestone for Raman, who becomes the first Indian-origin mayor of Los Angeles.

Raman's election campaign focused on some of Los Angeles' major civic challenges, including homelessness, public safety and affordable housing.

A poll conducted by Berkeley IGS and the Los Angeles Times between October 19 and 25 found that around 40 per cent of likely voters considered reducing homeless encampments a key priority for the next mayor. Approximately 30 per cent identified public safety and affordable housing as major concerns.

At her election night gathering at the Greek Theatre plaza on Tuesday, Raman had expressed optimism but stopped short of declaring victory, asking supporters to wait for the final results.

"I'm hopeful. I'm very hopeful," she told the crowd.

Who is Nithya Raman?

Born in Kerala in 1981, Raman moved to the United States with her family when she was six years old. She became a US citizen at the age of 22.

She graduated from Harvard University before pursuing a master's degree in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Before entering electoral politics, Raman founded Transparent Chennai, an urban research organisation working to improve civic infrastructure and public amenities.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2013, she worked with the city's municipal administrative office and helped establish the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition. She also served as executive director of Time's Up Entertainment.

Raman was first elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020. Her mayoral campaign against Bass brought renewed attention to issues including homelessness, housing, policing and the city's response to the 2025 Palisades Fire.