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Karen Bass Concedes LA Mayoral Race to Nithya Raman
Confirmed
In Short: Democrat Karen Bass conceded the Los Angeles mayoral race to Nithya Raman, who becomes the city's first South Asian mayor.
Karen Bass conceded the Los Angeles mayoral race to Nithya Raman on Thursday, handing over the reins of the city to Raman, who becomes the first South Asian mayor of the nation's second-most populous city. The Associated Press called the race for Raman on Thursday afternoon, with Raman leading by 52% to Bass's 48% of the vote, based on 76% of the expected votes counted.
Bass reached out to Raman to concede the race, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. In a statement, Bass acknowledged the outcome, stating, “While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken. I have called Councilmember Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory, and I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us.”
Raman, who ran on a platform of change and fresh leadership, expressed her gratitude and excitement in a video message. “Thank you to the thousands of people who knocked on doors, sent texts, made phone calls, convinced their neighbors to believe in the promise of this big, beautiful, joyful city that we get to call home,” she said.
The race between Bass and Raman was closely watched, with Bass holding a lead of approximately 26,000 votes, or 3 percentage points, out of 784,262 votes counted, as reported by CalMatters. However, as the vote count progressed, Raman's lead solidified, with updated counts showing her with 429,450 votes, representing 52.1% of the total, according to Fox5Dc.
The election was seen as a referendum on Bass's leadership, with Bass's support from Hollywood and Washington, D.C., drawing significant attention. However, Bass's lead was eroded by crises such as the Palisades and Eaton fires, which turned a mostly sedate electorate into an enraged one, as noted by CalMatters.
Raman's victory was unexpected, as pre-election polling suggested Bass was positioned to win another term. A labor leader who backed Raman noted, “Even though every city councilperson said they were standing with Karen Bass, not very many of the people they represent followed them to the polls,” as reported by Commondreams.
The election also highlighted the growing influence of democratic socialist candidates in major cities, with Bass's concession marking a significant shift in Los Angeles's political landscape.
Bass's statement reflected her commitment to a smooth transition, emphasizing the need to move the city forward. She added, “As we await for the votes to be counted, there is one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty, I have never been more proud of our city, more grateful for its people or more hopeful about what we can accomplish together,” as quoted by LAist.
What this adds
The election was a significant shift from September, when Raman held an 11-percentage-point advantage over Bass, according to a survey conducted October 19-25.
Background
Nithya Raman, a democratic socialist, has defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race, becoming the city's first democratic socialist mayor.
What's confirmed
- "While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken. I have called Councilmember Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory, and I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us," Bass wrote in a statement.
- The Associated Press called the race for Raman on Thursday afternoon.
What's still developing
- Democrat Scott Colom spoke with ABC News on Thursday at a diner in Jackson, Mississippi, as race between him and Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith remains tight -- with around 1,000 votes separating the two, according to the current vote count.
- "The voters were betrayed. That gave us an opportunity to compete everywhere," he said. -ABC News' Faith Abubey, Oren Oppenheim and Brendon Baur Outgoing Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who conceded her Senate race to Democrat Troy Jackson, told The New York Times on Wednesday that she was “caught up in the Trump tsunami” that also took her Republican colleagues this election cycle, which saw Democrats pick up seven seats with the chance of possibly adding two more depending on the election results in Alaska and Mississippi.
- Democrats won several key races in the high-stakes midterm elections -- with ABC News projecting that Democrats will take control of the Senate and the House.
- The letter comes ahead of House GOP leadership elections scheduled for Nov.
- Raman, meanwhile, argued that the city needed fresh leadership that was not captive to relationships at City Hall.
- The survey, conducted October 19-25, represents a significant shift from September, when Raman held an 11-percentage-point advantage over Bass.
- Both Bass and Raman have pledged to do a lot for the film industry — but if you were running for mayor of Los Angeles right now, would you say anything else?
- Raman, speaking at her Election Night party Tuesday in Griffith Park, said voters wanted change.