Nithya Raman ousts incumbent Karen Bass in LA mayor's race, CBS News projects

Key points

• CBS News projects Councilmember Nithya Raman has defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayor's race.
• Bass conceded on Thursday and said she called Raman to congratulate her and pledged a smooth transition.
• Raman, a Democratic socialist elected to the City Council in 2020, said her goal is to restore faith in City Hall.

Councilmember Nithya Raman will be Los Angeles' next mayor after defeating incumbent Karen Bass in the November general election, CBS News projects. The result follows sweeping Democratic victories across the country on Election Day. The last time a challenger unseated a sitting LA mayor was in 2005, when Antonio Villaraigosa defeated James Hahn.

Raman announced her surprise bid in February after previously endorsing Bass' reelection. In the June primary she overtook Spencer Pratt to reach the general election. A survey released shortly before the vote by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the Los Angeles Times showed Bass and Raman tied at 40% support among likely voters.

Concession and congratulations

Bass released a statement on Thursday morning saying she had called Raman to congratulate her. "While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken," Bass wrote, adding that she had committed to a smooth and seamless transition.

Police Chief Jim McDonnell congratulated Raman and thanked Bass for her time in office, saying he remains committed to "professional, constitutional, and compassionate policing." LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger also congratulated Raman, writing that "the voters have spoken, and now it's time to govern."

While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken.

— Karen Bass

Raman's pledges and record

In a video statement, Raman thanked supporters and said she would work every day to earn the trust of residents, including those who backed Bass or did not vote. She paid tribute to Bass as the city's first woman mayor. Later on Thursday, speaking to supporters in the Fairfax District, she pledged to restore Angelenos' "faith in City Hall."

Before her 2020 election to the City Council, Raman co-chaired the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Homelessness Committee and co-founded a homeless advocacy nonprofit. In 2025 she introduced a motion capping annual rent increases for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments built before 1978, which passed 13-2. Bass said this race will be her last campaign for office.