Nithya Raman will be LA's next mayor after Karen Bass concedes
Bass conceded two days after the election. Raman takes office in mid-December, and transit is expected to be near the top of her list.
By LA This Weekend Team · November 8, 20262 views
Los Angeles has a new mayor-elect. Councilmember Nithya Raman defeated Mayor Karen Bass, and Bass conceded on Thursday, Nov. 5, two days after Election Day.
As of Thursday morning, county figures showed Raman with 429,450 votes (52.1%) to Bass's 394,796 (47.9%), with about 76% of ballots counted, according to ABC7 and FOX 11. The Los Angeles Times reports she is the first challenger to unseat a sitting LA mayor in more than two decades.
What happened
- Bass called Raman to concede and promised a smooth handoff. "While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken," she said in a statement.
- Raman spoke to supporters Thursday evening at the Original Farmers Market in the Fairfax District. "Los Angeles, I'm deeply honored to be your next mayor," she said in a video statement.
- Raman, who was born in Kerala, India, will be the city's first Asian American mayor, ABC7 reports. She was first elected to the City Council six years ago, according to LAist.
- She told reporters she expects to take office in mid-December, and that one of her first calls was to LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.
Why transit could change first
According to the LA Times, the mayor oversees the city's transportation department and chairs the board of LA Metro, which runs the county's subway and light-rail lines. Raman has pushed for more bus lanes and safer streets for bikes, and she campaigned on getting the long-delayed LAX people mover back on track.
Our take
For most neighborhoods, the first changes people notice from a new mayor tend to be on the street: bus lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks and how long it takes to get somewhere. Those are also the decisions that are easiest for residents to weigh in on. We'll follow which projects move first and what they mean for your block.
Sources
- ABC7: Nithya Raman will be the next mayor of Los Angeles; Karen Bass concedes
- FOX 11: Karen Bass concedes as Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral race
- Los Angeles Times: Nithya Raman defeats Bass to become next L.A. mayor
- Los Angeles Times: Could Raman's win be a turning point for transit in Los Angeles?
- LAist: Raman defeats Bass in race for LA mayor
Photo: Los Angeles City Hall by Busition, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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LA This Weekend Team