From Chennai activist to LA mayor: Nithya Raman's journey to leading America's second-largest city

Kerala-born Nithya Raman has won the Los Angeles mayoral race, becoming the first Indian-American elected to lead the city. Incumbent Karen Bass conceded defeat and pledged a smooth transition, paving the way for Raman, an urban planner and city council member, to lead America's second-largest metropolis.

Raman's victory makes her the city's first South Asian mayor. She began her political journey with her election to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, becoming the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian elected to the council. She secured another mandate in 2024.

“Los Angeles, I am deeply honoured to be your next mayor,” Raman wrote on X on November 5. Bass said she had called Raman to congratulate her.

“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken,” Bass said. “I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us.”

Bass becomes the first Los Angeles mayor in two decades to lose a re-election bid. Her first term was overshadowed by the deadly Palisades Fire, which broke out while she was out of the country and caught the fire department unprepared.

Nithya Raman's campaign focused on housing and homelessness

Raman's campaign focused on housing accessibility, homelessness management and improving municipal services. According to LAist, her pledges included better maintenance of street lights and potholes, alongside structural policing reforms.

She entered the mayoral race at the last minute, despite initially backing Bass's re-election bid. Her decision to file in the final hours before the deadline angered sections of the city's Democratic establishment, which had rallied behind Bass.

People are “dissatisfied” with the “broken status quo” of Los Angeles, Raman told AFP ahead of the November 3 midterm vote.

“This city's government has made solving problems look impossible for so long,” said the Ivy League-educated urban planner. "Hopelessness can be fatal for a city, but this campaign refused to accept that.”

From Chennai's civic activism to Los Angeles politics

Born in Thrissur, Keralam, to a Tamil Brahmin family that moved to the United States when she was about six, Raman's political outlook was shaped partly by her work in Chennai.

After graduating from Harvard and completing a master's in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she returned to India in 2010. Between 2010 and 2013, she headed Transparent Chennai, a project under the Centre for Development Finance.

Raman and her team mapped public toilets in slum resettlement colonies, documented informal waste pickers and recyclers, and pushed for their inclusion in municipal planning. She also co-authored research opposing the forced relocation of families from Chennai's waterways, including the Cooum River, to distant resettlement colonies.

Her work involved collaboration with citizen groups such as Exnora and the Thillai Ganga Nagar Residents' Welfare Association.

“The collaboration involved organising community forums, mapping local traffic issues, and collecting data on public transport, pedestrian safety, and civic infrastructure gaps to present actionable data to the Chennai Traffic Police and municipal corporations,” said V. Rama Rao, a civic activist.

A former civic volunteer recalled: “She taught us that data could be weaponised.”

Raman has credited this approach to community activism with shaping her political philosophy, which focuses on using data-driven urban planning to address housing affordability and homelessness.

Indian-Americans make gains in US elections

Raman's victory comes amid wider gains for Indian-Americans in US politics. Indian American Impact said her election reflected the growing political influence of South Asian Americans, particularly in California.

The 5.5 million-strong Indian-American community also saw several candidates win elections across the country. Pia Dandiya of Florida and Dr Amish Shah of Arizona will join Representatives Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Suhas Subramanyam in the US Congress.

Other winners included Ranjeev Puri in Michigan, Aruna Miller in Maryland, Nabeela Syed in Illinois and Pooja Sethi in Texas. Jyot Singh won a seat in the Georgia State House, becoming the first Indian American and first Sikh American elected to the Georgia State Legislature.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.