Karen Bass calls Nithya Raman to concede LA mayor’s race: ‘this is not the outcome we had hoped for’

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass conceded her bitter reelection battle to City Councilwoman Nithya Raman on Thursday, ending a turbulent four years at City Hall and ushering in a historic political shift as America’s second-largest city braces for enormous challenges ahead.

“Four years ago, you elected me as the first Black woman mayor in the history of Los Angeles. You gave me the honor of serving the city that raised me, and every single day since, I have carried that responsibility with me,” Bass stated in an email sent out from her campaign account.

Bass then went on to thank her supporters, volunteers, business leaders and her family.

Bass touted her four years in office, claiming her administration reduced street homelessness, improved public safety, expanded affordable housing and created more opportunities for working families.

“We stood together through devastating wildfires and protected our immigrant communities when Donald Trump sent federal troops into our streets to spread fear and intimidation. That progress belongs to all of us,” she continued.

Bass conceded defeat, sharing she had called Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory. She also pledged a smooth transition, saying Los Angeles voters had spoken despite the disappointing outcome.

“I love Los Angeles. I believe in Los Angeles. And I will continue to ensure the promise of a better life belongs to all of us. Thank you,” Bass finished her message.

The stunning upset puts Raman, 45, on course to become Los Angeles’ first Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed mayor, inheriting a city grappling with a homelessness crisis, a depleted police force, soaring housing costs and preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Bass, 73, entered office in December 2022 promising to tackle Los Angeles’ most pressing problems. Instead, her administration was battered by mounting frustration over homelessness, fierce battles over public spending and the devastating January 2025 wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed 12 people.

Raman’s victory marks a dramatic reversal for Bass, a former congresswoman and longtime Democratic power broker who entered office with the backing of much of Los Angeles’ political establishment.

But Raman tapped into a younger generation of Angelenos increasingly frustrated by skyrocketing housing costs, shrinking economic opportunities and a city they believe has become unaffordable.

“Young people don’t see the kind of prospects available to them going forward their parents and grandparents saw,” USC political analyst Dan Schnur told The California Post. “Raman spoke to them in a way that an older candidate didn’t.”

Schnur described the election as a battle between two generations with dramatically different visions for Los Angeles.

“Bass did well with 20th century Los Angeles. Raman did well with 21st century LA,” he told The Post.

The political warning signs were mounting long before Election Day.

An October poll commissioned by The Post found just 25.5% of likely voters approved of Bass’ job performance, while 71.7% disapproved. The survey showed Raman leading Bass 46.7% to 38.8%, with 13.5% undecided.

For Bass, the defeat closes a mayoralty defined by ambitious promises and relentless crises.

Her signature Inside Safe homelessness initiative moved people from encampments into temporary housing, but the city’s homeless population continued climbing, reaching 45,194 in 2026, including 29,115 people living without shelter.

In an exclusive interview with The Post days before the election, Bass acknowledged the enormous obstacles confronting her administration.

“The system was never designed to end homelessness. It was only set up to manage,” Bass told The Post.

“I knew the system was broken, but how profoundly broken it was, I did not know.”

Her administration also struggled to rebuild the Los Angeles Police Department, whose sworn staffing had fallen to approximately 8,677 officers by April 2026.

The devastating Palisades fire further intensified scrutiny of Bass’ leadership, emergency preparedness and the city’s response to one of the worst disasters in Los Angeles history.

Now those challenges belong to Raman.

The incoming mayor will inherit a city grappling with a homelessness crisis, a depleted police force, mounting budget pressures and preparations for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics, when the world’s attention will turn to Los Angeles.

“For too long our broken and unjust status quo has convinced Angelenos that this is the best that we can do,” Raman said at her Election Night rally in Griffith Park.

“Our City Hall became a place where we became so used to saying ‘no,’ we forgot how to say ‘yes.’”

Raman has promised a dramatic shift in policing, pledging to expand unarmed response teams to handle certain emergency calls and move some responsibilities away from sworn officers.

She has also vowed to replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell before 2030, setting up a potential showdown with a department already struggling to recruit and retain officers.

Some officers warn her policies could worsen the crisis, particularly as residents grow frustrated with rampant drug use and disorder.

“Now she’s going to get a look behind the curtain, and see how dire the situation really is,” said one cop. “People are nervous. It’s not a good feeling.”

And policing is just one of the battles awaiting Raman.

Homelessness promises another political showdown.

Raman has repeatedly voted against restrictions on camping near parks, schools and other public spaces, clashing with council members who argue that tougher enforcement is necessary to reclaim sidewalks and neighborhoods.

She will also take control of a city facing mounting financial pressures, including rising labor costs, strained public services and major spending demands tied to the Olympics.

And Raman must deliver on her central campaign promise to make Los Angeles more affordable, as residents struggle with soaring rents, housing costs and the price of everyday life.

Prominent figures in Los Angeles’ real estate industry are expressing optimism about the Democratic Socialist-backed mayor-elect.

Mott Smith, a USC real estate professor and outspoken critic of the city’s controversial Measure ULA mansion tax, acknowledged that Raman has won him over.

“I started out as a Nithya skeptic, but as I’ve seen her in action, I’ve changed my mind completely,” Smith told the California Post.

“Her best quality as a leader turns out to be her worst as a politician: She follows the data and does what she believes will produce the best outcomes.”

Jason Oppenheim, president of luxury brokerage The Oppenheim Group and star of Netflix’s “Selling Sunset,” also urged Angelenos to give Raman a chance.

“I think that a lot of people have taken a superficial approach to her candidacy” and will be “pleasantly surprised with her pragmatism and results-oriented approach to her job,” Oppenheim told The Post.

“I ask that everyone who did not vote for her get behind her, get behind this city,” he said.

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