Nithya Raman’s LA Win Puts Democratic Socialists in Charge of 4 Big Cities

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Nithya Raman is projected to oust incumbent Bass as mayor of Los Angeles, delivering another major victory for democratic socialists and extending the movement's growing influence over some of America's largest cities.

NBC News and CNN projected Thursday that Raman, a Los Angeles City Council member and Democratic Socialists of America member, had defeated Bass, the former six-term congresswoman who has led the nation's second-largest city for one.

Raman leads Bass 52.1 percent to 47.9 percent, with 76 percent of the expected vote counted.

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman speaks during an election night watch party at the Greek Theatre plaza in Los Angeles, on November 3, 2026.

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Raman joins New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Washington, D.C., Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George as DSA-aligned leaders of major cities. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson also identifies as a democratic socialist, though she is not a DSA member.

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