Indian-Born Nithya Raman Poised to Become Los Angeles' Next Mayor, Outpacing Incumbent Karen Bass in Early Polls

Nithya Raman, an Indian-born politician and urban planner, is on track to potentially become the next mayor of Los Angeles, according to projections from polling site Decision Desk HQ. The Associated Press reported that Ms. Raman held a lead with 51.7 per cent of the vote compared to incumbent Karen Bass's 48.3 per cent, with 67 per cent of votes tallied as of Wednesday evening. Should she secure victory, Ms. Raman would make history as the city's first Asian-American mayor.

Ms. Raman's potential win also positions her as the latest Democratic socialist to achieve local office, following in the footsteps of figures like Zohran Mamdani in New York and Katie Wilson in Seattle, in addition to six others heading to Congress. Her campaign garnered support from several prominent figures in Hollywood, with donors including Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Mike Schur, Colin Jost, Nicholas Stoller, Cord Jefferson, and David Mandel.

According to her campaign platform, Ms. Raman's mayoral priorities include addressing housing affordability, improving the city's infrastructure, eradicating pay-to-play politics, fostering job creation, and safeguarding residents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Los Angeles experienced significant protests last summer concerning immigration raids, which led to President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to the city.

Reflecting on her decision to run, Ms. Raman stated, “Even for me, the decision felt unexpected – but it also felt necessary. Over the past few years, I’ve had a growing sense that our city is falling behind. That feeling sharpened after last January’s fires, the city’s slow response and the lack of accountability at City Hall.”

Who is Nithya Raman?

Born in Kerala, India, in 1981, Ms. Raman moved to the United States with her mother at the age of six to join her father in a Boston, Massachusetts, suburb. She graduated from Harvard University in 2003. Following her graduation, she returned to India, where she began working with non-governmental organizations focused on advocating for the rights of slum dwellers in Delhi, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. She later relocated to Chennai to continue similar advocacy work.

After earning her master's degree from MIT in 2008, Ms. Raman returned to Chennai and established a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting investment in sanitation for unmapped slums. She and her husband moved to Los Angeles in 2013.

Ms. Raman previously ran a grassroots campaign in 2020 to join the Los Angeles City Council and was subsequently elected for a second term in 2024. Her election night watch party was held at the Greek Theatre, an outdoor amphitheater located within Griffith Park.

Bloomberg contributed to this report.