Nithya Raman Becomes Los Angeles Mayor: Who Is the Kerala-Born Indian American Who Beat Karen Bass, Explained
Nithya Raman, born in Thiruvananthapuram and raised in the US, has defeated incumbent Karen Bass to become mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States. She is the first Indian American and first Asian American elected to the post. Here are the results, her journey from Kerala and Chennai to LA City Hall, and what she has promised.
Nithya Raman, who was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, will be the next mayor of Los Angeles. She defeated the sitting mayor, Karen Bass, in the 3 November 2026 election, becoming the first Indian American and first Asian American elected to lead America's second-largest city.
The 60-second version
- Result: Raman 52.1%, Bass 47.9% in unofficial county figures, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
- Called: By the Associated Press on Thursday, 5 November, two days after polling. Bass conceded the same day.
- History: Bass is the first LA mayor in two decades to lose a re-election bid.
- Who: A two-term city councilmember (District 4), urban planner and homelessness organiser, born in Kerala.
- Takes office: Mid-December 2026.
The numbers
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nithya Raman | 429,450 | 52.1% |
| Karen Bass (incumbent) | 394,796 | 47.9% |
Unofficial figures from Los Angeles County as reported by ABC7 on 5 November. The count continues, so final totals will change slightly.
Raman had come second to Bass in the June 2026 primary before winning the run-off. In a statement, Bass said she had called Raman to congratulate her and both promised the "smoothest possible transition."
From Thiruvananthapuram to City Hall
- 1981: Born on 28 July in Thiruvananthapuram, to a Tamil family.
- Age 6: Family moves to the US, first Louisiana, then Burlington, Massachusetts.
- 2003: Degree in social studies from Harvard University.
- 2008: Master's in urban planning from MIT.
- Years in India: Works in Chennai, where she founds Transparent Chennai, a research group that worked on sanitation and public data.
- 2013: Moves to Los Angeles and works for the city administration.
- 2017: Founds the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition.
- 2020: Wins a city council seat by defeating an incumbent.
- 2024: Re-elected outright in the primary.
- February 2026: Launches her challenge to Bass, a former ally she had previously endorsed.
She lives in Silver Lake with her husband, TV writer Vali Chandrasekaran, and their twins.
What she has promised
Raman named four priorities: homelessness, housing costs, public safety and economic development. She campaigned on building housing people can afford, better parks and transit, and a city government that "can deliver on its promises." She argued the city was worse off than four years ago, pointing to 30,000 street lights out, broken pavements and rising homelessness.
She will lead the city in the run-up to the 2028 Olympic Games, which Los Angeles is hosting.
Why this matters for India and the diaspora
- Los Angeles has about 3.8 million people, so this is one of the largest elected offices held by a person of Indian origin anywhere outside India.
- Her win comes in the same cycle as other Indian American candidates in the 2026 midterms. See our US midterms explainer.
- Raman is one of several democratic socialists now leading big US cities, alongside New York's Zohran Mamdani, who is also of Indian origin.
Sources: ABC7 Los Angeles (5 November 2026), Axios, the Associated Press race call, and Nithya Raman's public biography. Vote totals are unofficial.
Frequently asked questions
›Who won the Los Angeles mayor election 2026?
City councilmember Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. The Associated Press called the race on Thursday, 5 November 2026, and Bass conceded. Unofficial county figures at that point showed Raman with 429,450 votes (52.1%) to Bass's 394,796 (47.9%).
›Where was Nithya Raman born?
In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on 28 July 1981, to a Tamil family. Her family moved to the United States when she was six, first to Louisiana and then to Massachusetts.
›Is Nithya Raman the first Indian American mayor of Los Angeles?
Yes. She is the first Indian American and the first Asian American to be elected mayor of Los Angeles.
›What did Nithya Raman do in India?
After studying at Harvard and MIT, she returned to India in her twenties and founded Transparent Chennai, a research organisation that worked on sanitation and urban data in Chennai.
›When does Nithya Raman take office?
In mid-December 2026. Reports give the start of her term as 14 December 2026.
›Which party is Nithya Raman from?
She is a Democrat and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. LA's mayoral race is officially non-partisan.