Indian-origin politician Nithya Raman has won the mayoral election in Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States, defeating incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, 73. According to the Los Angeles Times, Raman led with 51.1% of the vote, while Bass trailed with 48.33%.
Born in Kerala in 1981, Raman moved to the United States with her family at the age of six. She became a U.S. citizen at 22, earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and completed a master’s degree in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In India, she founded Transparent Chennai, a research organization that worked to improve sanitation and infrastructure. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2013, she formed the SELAH Neighborhood coalition to address the city’s homelessness crisis and later served as executive director of Time’s Up Entertainment.
In 2020, Raman made history by defeating then-Councilmember David Ryu in the Los Angeles City Council race. She became the first candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to win a seat on the council.
Voters in this year’s mayoral contest focused chiefly on homelessness, which about 40% cited as their top priority, followed by public safety and affordable housing, which about 30% named as a priority.
Speaking at an election-night gathering at the Greek Theatre Plaza, Raman said she was optimistic about the results but urged supporters to remain patient until all ballots were counted. If the result holds, Raman will become the first Indian-origin woman to serve as mayor of Los Angeles.