Los Angeles, November 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Kerala-born Nithya Raman has won the Los Angeles mayoral election, becoming the first Indian-American and South Asian elected to lead the city after incumbent Karen Bass conceded defeat and pledged a smooth transition.
Raman, an urban planner and City Council member, will take charge of the second-largest city in the United States, marking a major milestone in her political career that began with her election to the council in 2020.
“Los Angeles, I am deeply honored to be your next mayor,” Raman wrote on X on Thursday.
The latest returns released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk at 4:34 p.m. local time showed Raman securing 460,772 votes, or 52.70 per cent, against Bass’s 413,519 votes, or 47.30 per cent. Her lead stood at 47,253 votes, although the figures remained unofficial as election officials continued processing ballots.
Bass confirmed her defeat in a post on X, saying she had called Raman to congratulate her and was committed to ensuring a smooth transition. She also thanked her supporters and pledged to continue working for Los Angeles.
Raman said she had spoken with Bass and expressed gratitude for her leadership and decades of public service.
The projected victory drew congratulations from local political leaders. City Council member Adrin Nazarian highlighted their shared immigrant experience and described Raman’s rise from representing Council District 4 to winning the mayoralty as an example of the American dream. He said he looked forward to working with her on affordability, public transport and retaining entertainment industry jobs in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman also congratulated Raman, emphasising public safety as a shared responsibility and expressing his willingness to work with the incoming administration.
Raman’s campaign focused on housing affordability, homelessness, public safety and improving municipal services, including better street and pothole repairs and changes to policing.
Born in Kerala, Raman moved to the United States with her family at the age of six. She graduated from Harvard University and earned a master’s degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before entering electoral politics, she worked on homelessness-related issues and co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition.
In 2020, she became the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian elected to the Los Angeles City Council. She won re-election in 2024 before challenging Bass for the mayor’s office.
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