Nithya Raman will be next mayor of Los Angeles; Karen Bass concedes

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass conceded to Councilmember Nithya Raman in the L.A. mayoral race on Thursday, two days after the election.

The Associated Press also projected that Raman is the winner shortly before noon.

The latest figures released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office showed Raman with 429,450 votes, or 52.1%, while Bass had 394,796 votes, or 47.9%. As of Thursday morning, Raman had a 34,654-vote lead in the tally.

Bass issued the following statement on Thursday:

"Four years ago, you elected me as the first Black woman mayor in the history of Los Angeles. You gave me the honor of serving the city that raised me, and every single day since, I have carried that responsibility with me.

I want to start by saying thank you. To my supporters, volunteers, brothers and sisters in labor, community and faith leaders, business leaders and elected officials, and the young people who brought so much energy to this effort: thank you. To my family, who stood beside me through every challenge and every long night: I could not do this without you.

Over the past four years, we have taken on some of the most difficult challenges facing any major American city. Coming out of the pandemic, when encampments lined our streets and businesses were trying to reopen — we got Angelenos off the streets, made our neighborhoods safer, built more affordable housing, and created new opportunities for working families. We stood together through devastating wildfires and protected our immigrant communities when Donald Trump sent federal troops into our streets to spread fear and intimidation. That progress belongs to all of us.

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.

I love Los Angeles. I believe in Los Angeles. And I will continue to ensure the promise of a better life belongs to all of us. Thank you."

Raman spent the final hours before Election Day making closing arguments to voters as polls showed the two candidates running neck-and-neck among likely voters.

Raman urged voters to back her campaign, saying she is running because of her commitment to the city.

"Do you love Los Angeles?" Raman asked a cheering crowd. "I'm here. I'm running for mayor because I love this city so much."

In her final appeal, Raman argued that Los Angeles is in worse condition than it was four years ago and pointed to ongoing infrastructure and homelessness challenges.

"We are worse off than we were four years ago -- 30,000 street lights are out, sidewalks are broken, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on homelessness, and homelessness went up last year, under the mayor's signature program. Los Angeles is ready for change," Raman said.

Raman's victory has implications beyond the city limits, with Los Angeles preparing to host the 2028 Olympic Games.

Nationally, Raman's election as mayor places her in the vanguard of democratic socialists in municipal government. In addition to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Janeese Lewis George was elected Tuesday as mayor of Washington, D.C., after running practically unopposed, and Katie Wilson is mayor in Seattle.