‘Deeply honoured’: India-born, Harvard graduate Nithya Raman wins LA mayoral race, defeating Karen Bass

Scripting history, India-born Nithya Raman won the Los Angeles mayoral race on Thursday, becoming the first Indian-American elected to lead the city, defeating the incumbent Karen Bass.Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman speaks on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)“Los Angeles, I am deeply honored to be your next mayor,” she said in a post on X.“I love this city. I believe in its people. The work ahead will be hard, and change will take time. And together, we are going to build a future as extraordinary as the city we call home. Thank you, LA. Let’s get to work,” she added.Who is Nithya RamanRaman was born in Kerala, India, and moved with her family to Louisiana at six, before settling in Burlington, Massachusetts. She graduated from Harvard University in 2002 and subsequently earned a master's degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), according to student newspaper The Harvard Crimson.After earning her master’s degree, Raman moved back to India to launch Transparent Chennai, a civic-data organization focused on sanitation and basic services in the city.An urban planner, activist and politician, Raman has served as the Los Angeles City Council member for the 4th District since 2020. She is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America.Before entering politics, Raman worked on homelessness-related issues. She served as co-chair of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's Homelessness Committee and co-founded the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, according to the City of Los Angeles website.In 2020, Raman made history as the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian to serve on the Los Angeles City Council. She was re-elected to a second term in 2024.Raman also studied classical dance with Leela Samson in Chennai. She added that still follows dance when her campaign schedule allows.“I don’t just watch Indian classical dance, I watch all kinds of dance,” Raman said. “I’m a dance aficionado, and when I’m not busy on the campaign trail, I try and attend dance programs and performances," she said, according to The Harvard Crimson.Some of Raman's friends also recalled traveling with her. “Her aunts and grandmothers would dress us in the morning in the saris, and we went to temples, and we went to this waterfall, stayed in an ashram for the last week that we were there,” Stephanie C. Stallings said.Karen Bass concedesIncumbent Karen Bass formally conceded defeat, while Raman accepted the outcome. The outgoing municipal leader expressed her appreciation to supporters while vowing continued dedication to the city, whereas Raman noted that she had spoken with Bass to convey her appreciation for her leadership and long-standing public service.“I’ve called Councilmember Raman to congratulate her, and I’m committed to a smooth transition,” Bass said in a post on X.Shashi Tharoor hails winCongress MP Shashi Tharoor also congratulated Raman and highlighted her Indian roots, saying that two of America's biggest cities would now be led by people of Indian origin.In a post on X, Tharoor described Raman as “a daughter of Thiruvananthapuram” and welcomed her appointment as the new Mayor of Los Angeles. He also referred to Zohran Mamdani's presence in New York, saying that the two cities would be run by people of Indian origin.“I’m sure they will do a far better job than their counterparts back in India, who are reduced to powerlessness by a British-era system that disperses authority and budgets, leaving Mayors here without any real means to govern their cities effectively,” he said.