Nithya Raman is the new mayor of Los Angeles, the socialist candidate beats Karen Bass

Democratic socialist candidate Nithya Raman is the new mayor of Los Angeles. Already a member of the Los Angeles City Council, 45 years old, he beat the outgoing Democratic mayor Karen Bass. The race for first citizen of the Californian city was close but in the end Bass had to give in to the candidate supported by the rapidly rising democratic socialists and progressives who in the last elections took the seats away from centrist politicians across the country.

Raman voted by young voters

Karen Bass, 73, was seeking reconfirmation as mayor of Los Angeles but the votes of her supporters, mainly older voters looking for stability, were not enough to surpass those obtained by her former progressive ally Raman, voted for by young people who demand more accessible housing and a lower cost of living.

Who is Nithya Raman

Born in 1981, Nithya Raman is an American politician and urban planner of Indian origins. Born in Kerala, she then moved to the United States and graduated from Harvard, obtaining a master's degree in Urban Planning from MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before entering politics he worked in India on urban development projects and founded a volunteer organization in Los Angeles to help homeless people. In 2020, she became the first Asian-American woman and the first person of South Asian origin to be elected to the Los Angeles City Council, receiving reappointment in 2024. Supported by the Democratic Socialists of America, she represents the new generation of American progressives. After today's victory, Nithya Raman will officially become mayor on December 14, 2026.