Karen Bass Ousted: DSA Member Nithya Raman Is LA’s Next Mayor

Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is projected to become Los Angeles’ next mayor after defeating incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

Decision Desk HQ called the race for Raman on Wednesday at 7:49 p.m. EST, with Raman receiving 52.10% of the vote compared with Bass’s 47.90%.

The result came as a surprise, as pre-election polling suggested Bass was positioned to win another term. According to exit polls obtained by the California Post and conducted on Oct. 22 and Nov. 2, Bass led Raman 56% to 44%.

But why did Los Angeles voters choose Raman over Bass?

In a post on X, Spencer Pratt, who also competed in the mayoral race during the primary, shared his thoughts. “Nithya didn’t win. Karen lost. You simply can’t destroy a city as much as she did. She played with fire, and she got fired.”

Pratt referenced Bass’ handling of the devastating Palisades Fire and the ongoing homelessness crisis during her time as mayor.

However, Raman has faced controversies of her own, including her affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America and her removal from a Los Angeles City Council committee overseeing homelessness.

Raman will be sworn in this December and has the task of leading a city grappling with more than 42,000 people experiencing homelessness, ongoing recovery efforts from the Palisades Fire, and soaring housing costs.

Neither Bass nor Raman has publicly commented on the election results thus far.

The Daily Signal reached out to both Raman’s and Bass’ campaigns for comment but did not receive a response by publication.