Democratic socialist Nithya Raman has defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race, according to BBC World. Bass conceded on Thursday. The result adds to a wave of left-leaning wins in the United States.
Bass announced in a social media post that she had called Raman and conceded, according to BBC World. Straits Times (SG) reports that Raman is the first Los Angeles mayoral candidate to defeat an incumbent since 2005.
Raman entered the race as a long-shot candidate and beat reality star Spencer Pratt in the primary earlier this year, according to BBC World. She is a city council member who first won a seat in 2020. She is often compared to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but she said, "I am different. I am myself."
Bass’s standing was undermined by criticism of the city’s response to the January 2025 Palisades fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures, according to Straits Times (SG). The city also faces a large homeless population. About 44,000 people were counted as homeless in the city of Los Angeles in 2025, including about 27,000 unsheltered, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, as reported by Straits Times (SG).
Washington DC also elected a democratic socialist as mayor, Janeese Lewis George, according to BBC World.
Bass has promised a smooth transition, according to Straits Times (SG). The incoming mayor will oversee the hosting of the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympics, according to BBC World.
The key facts in this report rely mainly on BBC World and Straits Times (SG). The sources do not give vote totals or a margin of victory, though Straits Times describes the race as closely fought. No certified result or date for Raman taking office is cited. Al Jazeera was available only as a headline and short excerpt. Raman has not responded to President Trump’s remark that left-flank wins would be "a disaster." Straits Times also reports that the Eaton fire killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, but the sources do not say how that bears on the race.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.