A leftist city councilwoman known as "L.A.'s Mamdani" will become mayor of Los Angeles after defeating incumbent Democrat Karen Bass.
Nithya Raman defeated Bass by a margin of 51.6% to 48.3% as of Thursday morning. The race was called Wednesday evening. Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was able to capitalize on Bass's unfavorability to pull off the upset victory.
The outcome hands over control of another one of the nation's largest cities to a democratic socialist as the movement continues to make inroads across the country. Last November, Zohran Mamdani was elected as mayor of New York City after running on a DSA platform.
Polls leading up to Election Day showed a tight race with neither candidate holding a major advantage. One poll showed both candidates with about 40% support while 20% remained undecided.
Raman challenged the 73-year-old Bass from the Left, an aggressive approach to take against a rival who once eulogized the leader of the Communist Party USA as a "friend and mentor" and cozied up to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro in the 1970s.
Raman made her name as a left-wing advocate on the city council since 2020. As a city councilmember, she advocated for defunding the police, opposed crackdowns on homeless encampments, and was influential in making Los Angeles a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants.
Heading into the election, both agreed they had failed to get anything done during their careers in office.
"I respect very much her long career of public service," Raman said. "But the election has to be about results."
Bass claimed no one on the city council liked working with Raman.
"It says something that you do not have strong working relationships with any of your colleagues. Not one," Bass said. "Each council member had a story to tell about how difficult she was to work with."
Both candidates advanced to the November election after no candidate broke 50% during the June mayoral election, which saw former reality TV star Spencer Pratt win over 25% of the vote. In the end, Bass advanced with 34% of the vote and Raman edged out Pratt with 29%. Initial results appeared to show that Pratt would get more votes than Raman, but his lead evaporated after counting ballots stretched on for days.
Pratt's fast-paced viral-video-centered campaign made national headlines as he focused on tackling the issues of crime, homelessness, and wildfires, which have long plagued the city.
He launched his campaign after his home was burned down in the Pacific Palisades fire, accusing the incumbent mayor of denying money requested for fire engines just weeks before the blaze. He also accused her of using water reserves meant for firefighting for drinking water instead.
Bass struggled with her favorability numbers over her handling of the fire. She was out of the country on a trip to Ghana when the Pacific Palisades disaster broke out, wreaking havoc on the city.
The fires broke out just weeks after L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley wrote that the nearly $18 million in budget cuts "severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires."
Another issue that plagued Bass on the campaign trail was that of the increasing homeless population. Estimates released in July 2026 showed that total homeless increased 3.4% on the year, including those living out on the streets and in encampments.
"It's interesting because we are in a period in our country where people are just fed up and dissatisfied and frustrated, and I understand that 100%," Bass said last week. "In my four years, I have made mistakes, but we have laid a very strong foundation to go into the future."
Bass, a former member of the House, was once floated as a potential running mate for President Joe Biden. She had promised to reduce homelessness, create "affordable housing" options, and supported a massive $2.6-billion project for the Los Angeles Convention Center.
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