Washington, Nov 2026: Kerala-born Nithya Raman has scripted history by winning the Los Angeles mayoral election, becoming the first Indian-American and South Asian to lead the second-largest city in the United States. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has conceded defeat and pledged to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Raman, a 44-year-old urban planner and member of the Los Angeles City Council, secured victory after a closely contested election, marking a significant milestone for the Indian-American community in US politics.
According to the latest Los Angeles County election returns, updated at 4:34 pm local time on Thursday, Raman secured 460,772 votes, accounting for 52.70 per cent of the total, against Bass's 413,519 votes, or 47.30 per cent. Her margin increased to 47,253 votes, compared with 34,654 in the morning count. The figures remain unofficial as election officials continue processing ballots cast in Tuesday's election.
With Bass conceding defeat, the contest moved beyond the earlier stage in which Raman was leading while awaiting additional results.
“Los Angeles, I am deeply honoured to be your next mayor,” Raman wrote on social media platform X on Thursday.
Bass also acknowledged the outcome and congratulated her challenger. “I've called Councilmember Raman to congratulate her, and I'm committed to a smooth transition,” she said in a post on X. The outgoing mayor thanked her supporters and indicated that she would continue working for the city.
Raman said she had spoken with Bass and expressed appreciation for her leadership and decades of public service.
The victory drew congratulations from political leaders across Los Angeles, with several highlighting the significance of Raman's journey as an immigrant who rose to lead one of America's most prominent cities.
Los Angeles City Council member Adrin Nazarian congratulated Raman, recalling their shared experience of immigrating to the United States and building new lives. He described her journey from representing Council District 4 to winning the mayoral election as an example of the American dream.
Nazarian also expressed interest in working with the mayor-elect on issues such as rising living costs, pressure on middle-class families, public transportation and retaining entertainment industry jobs in Los Angeles. He thanked Bass for her public service as a state legislator, congresswoman and the city's first Black woman mayor.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman also congratulated Raman while emphasising the importance of public safety. He said his office looked forward to working with the new mayor to ensure the safety of residents and would continue handling prosecutions based on facts, law and evidence.
Raman's campaign focused on some of the city's most pressing challenges, particularly housing affordability, homelessness and improving municipal services. Her proposals included faster repairs of potholes and streetlights, along with changes to policing and the delivery of essential public services.
Born in India, Raman moved to the United States with her family when she was six years old. She graduated from Harvard University and subsequently earned a master's degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Before entering electoral politics, she worked on homelessness-related issues and co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, an organisation focused on addressing homelessness in Los Angeles.
Raman entered the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, becoming the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian elected to the council. She retained her seat in the 2024 election before making her successful bid for the mayor's office.
Her victory marks a new chapter in Los Angeles politics and adds to the growing representation of Indian-origin leaders in American public life.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
