Nithya Raman Projected to Defeat Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles Mayoral Race
Photo: NBC NewsLos Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was projected to have defeated Mayor Karen Bass in the city's November general election. CBS News and NBC News projected the result, and Decision Desk HQ called it Wednesday evening. In the county registrar's Wednesday afternoon update, Raman led 405,193 votes (51.7%) to 379,069 (48.3%), a margin of 26,124. The Associated Press had not called the race, and about 842,000 ballots remained to be counted countywide. Bass had not conceded, and her campaign declined to comment. The registrar will post daily updates through Nov. 13, and the county certifies results by Nov. 27.
Raman, 45, announced her bid in February after endorsing Bass. She accused Bass of mismanaging homelessness and housing costs. Bass, 73, a former six-term congresswoman, faced scrutiny for being in Ghana during the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and killed 12 people. Raman would join New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Washington, D.C.'s Janeese Lewis George as democratic socialist mayors.
The right-leaning Daily Wire and New York Post lead with ideology. The Daily Wire calls Raman "L.A.'s Mamdani," cites her record on policing, encampments and sanctuary status, and raises Bass's past ties to Communist figures. The Post's opinion piece predicts chaos, citing Raman's lack of executive experience, thin labor support, a retreat on firing the LAPD chief, and Mamdani's troubles. CBS and NBC, on the left, stick to the projection. CBS details Berkeley IGS polling and Pratt voters, while NBC covers Bass's fire response, Raman's criticisms and the Gaza split between the two. Both sides note the DSA affiliation, the Mamdani parallel and Bass's unpopularity. Reason and ZeroHedge mainly stress the unfinished count and Bass's low ratings.
How the sides differ Right sources cast Raman's win as a leftward lurch and stress her record and risks; left sources stress projections, polling and Bass's fire response; alternative sources stress the unfinished count.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
- NBC NewsDemocratic socialist Nithya Raman defeats Karen Bass in the L.A. mayor’s race
- CNNDemocratic socialist Nithya Raman will defeat Karen Bass in LA mayor’s race, CNN projects
CBS and NBC report the projected result, citing Berkeley IGS polling, Pratt voters, Bass's Palisades fire response, and Raman's criticisms of Bass on homelessness and housing, along with the Gaza disagreement.
- ZeroHedgeAfter Mamdani, Los Angeles Is Next: Socialist Nithya Raman Projected To Oust Karen Bass
- TMZNithya Raman Wins Los Angeles Mayoral Election Over Karen Bass
Reason and ZeroHedge stress that the race is not final, giving vote counts, the pending AP call and the certification schedule, while Reason highlights Bass's poor favorability and fire record.
- New York PostNithya Raman’s victory means four years of destructive chaos — and her socialist revolution will leave LA in ruins
- Daily MailLA elects its wokest ever mayor Nithya Raman after Karen Bass presided over wildfires disaster... with locals now fearful vagrant and drug filled City of Angels will descend even further into squalor
The Daily Wire and New York Post frame Raman as a far-left successor to Mamdani, citing her policy record, her inexperience, and, in the Post's opinion piece, predictions of chaos.