Nithya Raman, born in Thrissur in the Indian state of Kerala, has been elected mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States. The 45-year-old urban planner and politician will lead the city after defeating the outgoing mayor, Karen Bass.
Her victory gives Los Angeles its first mayor of South Asian origin.
Karen Bass conceded defeat on Thursday, 5 November. In the latest count Raman had 52 percent of the vote and Bass 48 percent. It is the first time in more than two decades that a sitting Los Angeles mayor has lost a re-election bid. Raman will take office as mayor in December.
From Kerala to the United States
Raman was born in Thrissur, Kerala. At the age of six she moved with her family to the US state of Louisiana. She later went to Harvard University, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, and graduated in 2003. She then took a master’s degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
After her studies she worked on urban planning and public services. After she returned to Los Angeles, the city’s homelessness crisis moved her deeply. In 2017 she co-founded an organisation called the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, which stands by homeless people and gets them the help they need.
From local politics to mayor
Raman’s political rise began through grassroots organising. In 2020 she won the election for the Fourth District of the Los Angeles City Council and became a council member for the first time, defeating the then council member David Ryu. With that she became the first South Asian and the first Asian-American woman on the city council.
Raman was elected to a second term on the council in 2024. She worked on effective services for homeless people, building affordable housing and improving the city’s public amenities. Her professional experience in urban planning became an important part of her political identity.
The promises that won
Raman’s main promises in the mayoral race included tackling the housing crisis, reducing the number of homeless people, improving public transport and repairing the city’s roads and pavements. She also said she would give priority to improving the city’s infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
During the campaign she promised to expand housing and health care for homeless people and to make the city’s basic services work better. She also set a goal of halving the number of homeless people living on the streets before the 2028 Olympics.
Raman’s husband, Vali Chandrasekaran, is a television screenwriter and producer who has worked on popular series such as Modern Family and 30 Rock. They have twins.
Raman’s rise in Los Angeles politics is seen as part of a new generation of leadership in US city politics. But hard challenges now lie ahead of her: delivering on her campaign promises, tackling the homelessness crisis and improving the city’s public services.
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