After New York, Will Los Angeles Get Indian-Origin Mayor? Kerala-Born Leads The Race

On one hand is Indian-origin Nithya Raman and on the other hand is incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a race that will decide who gets to lead the US' second most populous city, Los Angeles.

As the numbers stand right now, Raman, 45, has taken a narrow lead. With over four lakh votes in her favour, Raman is leading with 51.67 per cent votes.

The first votes counted after polls closed showed Bass with a slight lead. But in each of several small updates to the count, Raman gained ground. The challenger eventually slipped ahead and held a slim advantage in an early Wednesday tally.

An estimated one-third of the ballots remained uncounted, according to news agency Associated Press.

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If Raman wins, she will follow the path of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who was elected New York City Mayor last year.

Confident Bass vs Hopeful Raman

Bass, however, remained confident. In a speech to cheering supporters on Tuesday night, a confident Bass shouted, "We will achieve victory. I love Los Angeles."

After acknowledging that more votes needed to be counted, she led the crowd in refrains of "Four more years" and added, "When we fight, we win."

Raman expressed 'hope' and urged her supporters to dance with her at an election-night party. "This election is about change too," she said.

"Hopelessness can be fatal for a city," she added. "But this campaign refused to accept that."

Bass, 73, has argued that she's made enough progress to merit another term leading a city of 3.8 million people. Raman, 45, is "not ready for prime-time" after only six years on the council, Bass believes.

"We cannot afford another four years of decline, of mismanagement, of excuses," Raman remarked.

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Los Angeles Voter Issues

The Palisades fire, homelessness, Hollywood jobs fleeing to cheaper locales and lack of basic services, from street paving to streetlight repair, are among the issues that are likely to drive votes against Bass.

Democrat Bass was out of the country when the Palisades Fire ignited and caught the fire department unprepared despite days of warnings about the potential for powerful winds and bone-dry weather. A fire east of downtown earlier in June at a massive frozen-food warehouse caused weeks of foul smells and frustration.

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On homelessness, Bass stresses that the city has cleared dozens of encampments and brought thousands of people into shelter, but data show nearly half of them dropped out of the system and presumably returned to the streets.

If elected, Raman has said she would reduce the number of people sleeping in tents and encampments by at least 50 per cent by 2028. She also wants to bring healthcare services to those living on the streets and in encampments, while also providing more housing to move people out of hotels rented by the city for the homeless.

Public safety is another issue over which the two Democratic candidates have differing views. While Bass wants to hire more police officers, Raman wants to replace the police chief, which Bass thinks would be reckless ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.

"Defund the police," Raman once posted on social media in 2020, stressing the need for a much smaller department. She did not support Bass' 2023 police contract, which she said was too expensive for the financially strapped city. Recently, she said the police department should remain at its current size.

Support For Bass vs Raman

Bass is backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with nearly every member of the city council, including several aligned with the democratic socialists.

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Raman, an urban planner, has picked up notable support from advocacy and political groups, including Our Revolution, which was founded by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and the Sierra Club. She lacks endorsements from prominent local politicians.

What Polls Say

A Berkeley IGS/LA Times poll conducted between October 19 and 25 found that about four in 10 likely voters said reducing the number of homeless encampments should be a top priority for the next mayor to address, while about three in 10 said the same about ensuring public safety or building more affordable housing.

"Homelessness is rising despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent. Storefronts are closing," Raman said in the sole televised debate. Bass, she said, has been "missing in action."