Los Angeles Elects Progressive Mayor: City Shifts Left

California — 06 November 2026

Los Angeles elects a progressive mayor amid a photo-finish

Nithya Raman has been declared the next mayor of Los Angeles after a tight vote count and the concession of incumbent Karen Bass. Raman’s victory is notable beyond the city limits because it leaves the two largest U.S. cities—Los Angeles and New York—under the leadership of politicians from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, following Zohran Mamdani’s recent win in New York.

A late entry that changed the race

Raman did not begin the campaign as a challenger. Early on she backed Bass’s re-election bid, but entered the contest herself just hours before the filing deadline. That last-minute decision set up a contest in which Raman pushed a left-leaning platform and focused intensively on soaring housing costs and the city’s homelessness crisis—issues that dominated the campaign conversation.

The count was close and took time to settle. When results tightened, Bass ultimately acknowledged defeat. Throughout the campaign she had sought to paint Raman as inexperienced and inconsistent, while critics of Bass had seized on her handling of several crises.

Who is Nithya Raman?

Raman, 45, is a city planner by training and a two-term member of the Los Angeles City Council, first elected in 2020. She arrived in the United States from India with her family at age six. As a mother of two and a political newcomer in 2020, she gained notice for advocating bold changes to how the city addresses homelessness and affordability.

Her campaign drew endorsements from national progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, and from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)—the country’s largest socialist organization. In interviews she has stressed that, despite those ties, she views herself as an independent-minded official who will prioritize practical solutions over strict adherence to any single ideology.

Karen Bass: experience and controversy

Karen Bass, who became mayor in 2022 as the city’s first female mayor, built a long career in public office before taking Los Angeles’ top municipal role, serving in both the California Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. Her tenure as mayor, however, attracted criticism for the municipal response to the devastating wildfires that struck the region in January 2025 and for the slow pace of rebuilding affected neighborhoods—issues her opponents repeatedly highlighted during the campaign.

“Socialist” messaging loses bite in big cities

Nationally, Republican strategists and former President Donald Trump tried to use the label “socialist” as an attack against Democrats, in some instances singling out DSA membership as evidence. That line of attack appears to have had limited effect in large metropolitan areas: voters in major cities are increasingly willing to elect candidates from the progressive left when those candidates address pressing local problems like housing and homelessness.

Why two candidates from the same political current can face off

Part of the reason both Bass and Raman—politicians associated with the Democratic coalition—appeared on the same ballot without party labels is a quirk of California election law. The Los Angeles mayoral contest is officially nonpartisan; state rules prohibit parties from nominating candidates for the office. As a result, neither the primary nor the general election lists nominees by party, allowing two candidates from the same political spectrum to compete directly.

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Lowell Hagan

Lowell Hagan closely follows international affairs. From geopolitical conflicts to economic cooperation, he provides context to help readers better understand global dynamics. His clear, structured style gives meaning to global news.