Los Angeles elects democratic socialist Nithya Raman mayor over Karen Bass
Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Nov. 3, 2026, runoff, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's unofficial canvass showed Thursday, with the Associated Press calling the race and Bass conceding.
As of 9:21 a.m. Pacific on Nov. 5, the county registrar's text results for the Los Angeles City general municipal election listed Nithya Raman with 429,450 votes (52.10%) and Karen Ruth Bass with 394,796 (47.90%). The count is not certified; the registrar said it will keep publishing updates throughout the canvass until the election is certified. NBC Los Angeles said about 76% of the expected vote was in Thursday morning. France 24 (AFP) described the same stage as three-quarters of votes counted.
Bass called Raman to concede on Thursday. "I have called Councilmember Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory, and I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition," Bass said in a statement reported by France 24 (AFP) and ABC7. Raman, 45, said she was "deeply honored to be your next mayor" and paid tribute to Bass (France 24/AFP; ABC7, Nov. 5).
How the runoff got here
Neither candidate won a majority in the June primary. Bass finished first at about 34% and Raman second at about 29%, with Republican Spencer Pratt third near 25.5%, sending Bass and Raman into the November runoff (NBC Los Angeles). Raman, the first Democratic Socialists of America-affiliated member of the Los Angeles City Council, filed late after initially backing Bass's reelection bid (France 24/AFP; Axios).
The campaign centered on homelessness, housing costs, street conditions and Bass's handling of the January 2025 wildfires. Raman framed her pitch as "pothole politics": fixing streetlights and sidewalks and making City Hall work, rather than abstract ideology (France 24/AFP; Axios). Bass, elected in 2022 as the city's first Black woman mayor, had never before lost a race for public office (France 24/AFP; NBC Los Angeles).
Democratic rift: New York and Los Angeles
With New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani already in office, Axios reported that Raman's win puts democratic socialists on track to run two of America's most powerful city halls, testing whether promises on affordable housing and better government can survive governing. France 24 (AFP) likewise tied Raman's rise to the same progressive urban energy that lifted Mamdani. Axios also noted Washington, D.C., voters elected democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George on Tuesday. That midterm pattern is not a substitute for the Los Angeles mayor count, which rests on the county registrar tally.
Axios reported that Raman has clashed with parts of the Democratic Socialists of America over Israel, policing and housing, including a narrow national DSA vote against withdrawing her endorsement after a Los Angeles chapter dispute. Those internal fights are attributed to Axios only.
What is settled - and what is not
- Settled for news purposes: AP projected Raman the winner; Bass conceded; the county registrar's Nov. 5 morning bulletin shows Raman ahead by about 34,654 votes at 52.10%-47.90%.
- Not settled: Certified totals, final turnout and the exact inauguration calendar. Axios reported Raman takes office Dec. 14; NBC Los Angeles said she will be sworn into office in December, without specifying the day.
- Financial Times used the headline that Los Angeles elects democratic socialist Nithya Raman as mayor. Vote totals above come from the county registrar, France 24 (AFP), Axios, ABC7 and NBC Los Angeles, not from exclusive FT copy.
Open questions
- When will the registrar certify the mayor contest, and does Raman's lead hold as remaining vote-by-mail and provisional ballots are counted?
- How will the City Council fill Raman's vacated council seat?
- What governing coalition can Raman assemble on homelessness and the 2028 Olympics timeline?
Sources: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, results as of Nov. 5, 2026, 9:21 a.m. PT (text results, election 4348); France 24 (AFP), Nov. 5; Axios, Nov. 5; ABC7; NBC Los Angeles. Financial Times headline credit only. The Los Angeles City Clerk municipal-elections page points to the county canvass for unofficial results.