The Indian-origin Democratic Socialist is expected to become the first of her kind to lead the second-largest US city.
Nithya Raman is projected to win the election for mayor of Los Angeles, California, according to Decision Desk and the Los Angeles Times. Raman, who has served as the council member for the 4th district since 2020, is expected to defeat the incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass.
According to reports from Mint and The Associated Press, Raman led with 51.7 per cent of the support compared to 48.3 per cent for Bass as 67 per cent of votes were counted on Wednesday evening. The Tribune and ANI reported Raman held 51.1 per cent of the ballots against 48.33 per cent for the 73-year-old Bass, though analysts noted the race remained close.
Raman, 45, was born in a Tamil-speaking family in Kerala and moved to the US at age six. She holds a master's degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and attended Harvard University. Before her political career, she worked in India with her organisation, Transparent Chennai.
During the campaign, Raman told AFP that people were dissatisfied with the status quo in Los Angeles, citing issues with affordability, homelessness, and road repair. She stated that the city was worse off than it was four years ago before Bass became mayor.
Raman has proposed reducing the number of people living in tents and encampments by at least 50 per cent by 2028. Her plans include expanding medical teams to provide care to those living on the streets and providing more housing to move people out of city-rented hotels.
