Democratic socialist Nithya Raman projected to win Los Angeles mayoral race
The city councilmember’s projected victory would give the Democratic Socialists of America another major-city win following Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election in New York last year.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a Democrat and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is projected to defeat incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the closely contested 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race, according to Decision Desk HQ.
The election tracker called the race Nov. 4. Its tally, updated at 4:49 p.m. Pacific time that day, showed Raman with 405,193 votes, or 51.67%, to Bass’ 379,069 votes, or 48.33% — a lead of 26,124 votes or 3.34 percentage points. The results remain preliminary as Los Angeles County continues to count and process ballots.
Raman’s projected victory would put a democratic socialist in charge of the nation’s second-largest city, following New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election last year.
Bass held a narrow lead after polls closed Nov. 3, but Raman overtook her early the following morning, with returns released around 2 a.m. showing the councilmember ahead by fewer than 4,000 votes. Her lead widened in subsequent updates.
Analysts suggested the results may show stronger support for Raman among younger and progressive voters, who often submit ballots later in the process.
Raman, an urban planner first elected to the City Council in 2020, entered the mayoral race as a late challenger in February 2026 after previously endorsing Bass. Both Democrats advanced to the runoff after a June primary that also included Republican reality TV personality Spencer Pratt.
Housing affordability was central to Raman’s campaign. Her platform calls for tripling annual housing construction and using public funds and city-owned land to build publicly owned housing.
She also proposed restricting bulk purchases of single-family homes by private equity firms, making Los Angeles “the strongest sanctuary city in the country,” preventing the police department from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, and expanding city-funded legal assistance for immigrants facing deportation.
The DSA’s Los Angeles chapter endorsed Raman ahead of the election.
Bass, who took office in 2022, sought another term while facing continued criticism of her response to the 2025 wildfires.
Speaking to supporters at the Greek Theatre plaza on election night, Raman framed her campaign as a response to frustration with City Hall.
“This city’s government has made solving problems look impossible for so long that I heard from people across this city who started to believe that it wasn’t possible,” Raman said. “Hopelessness can be fatal for a city, but this campaign refused to accept that.”
Indian lawmaker Shashi Tharoor — a member of the Indian National Congress who represents Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of India’s Kerala state, in Parliament — congratulated Raman Nov. 5, highlighting her Indian roots and those of Mamdani.
In a post on X, Tharoor described Raman as “a daughter of Thiruvananthapuram” and declared that America’s two biggest cities would have leaders of Indian origin.
Tharoor also contrasted U.S. mayors’ authority with what he described as the limited powers of their Indian counterparts.
“I’m sure they will do a far better job than their counterparts back in India, who are reduced to powerlessness by a British-era system that disperses authority and budgets, leaving Mayors here without any real means to govern their cities effectively,” he said.
Raman’s projected victory comes alongside congressional gains for DSA-aligned candidates. As Zeale News previously reported, five such candidates won House seats Nov. 3, joining two DSA-aligned incumbents who won reelection.
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