Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass after running a campaign focused on housing affordability and homelessness.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has unseated the city's Democrat incumbent Mayor Karen Bass after running a campaign centered on affordability and housing.
The Associated Press called the election for Raman on Thursday afternoon as she widened her lead over Bass.
Bass, 73, called Raman to concede her loss and congratulate her successor on her victory.
"While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken," the outgoing mayor said in a statement. "I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us."
The win underscored a "blue wave" that swept Democrats into control of both chambers of Congress, delivering a decisive rebuke to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
When Raman, 45, takes office in January, L.A. will become the nation's second-largest city led by a Democratic Socialist, following in the footsteps of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Raman's swearing-in will expand a growing roster of Democratic Socialist mayors nationwide, including Janeese Lewis George in Washington, DC, Katie Wilson in Seattle, and David Morales in Providence, RI.
Ahead of her victory, Raman appeared before a jubilant crowd of supporters at the Greek Theatre Plaza in Griffith Park on Tuesday, arguing that L.A. voters were frustrated with Bass' record on the cost of living and were demanding change, reported KTLA5.
"We watched friend after friend, family after family, leave because they couldn’t afford to stay here anymore. And we all talked about it as if these things were completely out of City Hall’s control," she told the audience. "That’s the cynicism that started to take over this city. That started to make us believe that L.A.’s problems weren't just bad, but they were permanent."
A platform focused on housing
Raman ran a campaign focusing on housing, homelessness, and safety issues. The centerpiece of her platform was a plan to triple annual housing production by speeding up permitting through strict "shot clocks" for approvals.
Further proposals included overhauling inspections, updating codes, and eliminating additional fees to incentivize developers to build more starter homes.
Nithya Raman, right, has been critical of Mayor Karen Bass' record on housing and affordability. (Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) "Today, less than 10% of the new homes built in L.A. are for sale," Raman recently told Realtor.com®. "Under current city and state regulations, for-sale projects are charged higher fees, have a more complicated approval process, are easier to appeal, and have increased liability risks for developers."
The councilmember was sharply critical of her mayoral predecessor, contending that Bass has not done enough to tackle L.A.’s yearslong housing crisis.
Bass’ record includes signing Executive Directive 1, which streamlined approval for roughly 50,000 units of fully affordable housing, overseeing a historic rezoning program to clear a path for building a half-million new homes, adding more housing units to transit corridors and job hubs, simplifying the building application process, and updating rent stabilization rules for the first time in 40 years to shield tenants from steep hikes.
However, it was on Bass’ watch that the Realtor.com Metro Report Cards released in September ranked L.A. the nation’s least affordable large city—a result that Raman did not find surprising.
"We’ve made it too difficult, time-consuming, and costly to build homes in Los Angeles," concluded Raman.
Assuming a 10% down payment and a 6.5% 30-year fixed mortgage, a median earner in L.A. would have to spend nearly 85% of their income on monthly mortgage payments on a $1.12 million median-priced home, effectively putting ownership out of reach of all but the wealthiest buyers.
Beyond cost-of-living issues, Raman faces pressure upon taking office to deliver on her lofty campaign pledge to reduce citywide homelessness by 50% in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Fulfilling that promise will be a major challenge, given that recent 2026 data showed roughly 45,000 people living in tents and encampments on the streets of L.A.