Nithya Raman ousts incumbent Karen Bass in Los Angeles mayor’s race, CBS News projects

Updated on: November 5, 2026 / 10:42 AM PST / CBS LA

Councilmember Nithya Raman will be Los Angeles' next mayor after defeating incumbent Karen Bass in the November general election, CBS News projects.

Raman's win comes after resounding victories for Democrats across the country on Election Day.

Raman, a Democratic socialist, has been riding her momentum after pushing past Spencer Pratt in the June primary, but suffered a setback with voters a week before the election, according to the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the Los Angeles Times.

A survey released by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the LA Times shortly before the election showed Bass and Raman tied, with 40% support among likely voters.

Bass and Raman became frontrunners after the primary election when they rallied ahead of third-place candidate Spencer Pratt. A week before the election, 41% of Pratt's primary voters shifted their support to Bass, up from her previous 22%.

"A lot of the voters who were previously supporting Spencer Pratt in the primary have now weighed in, and they have moved to Bass," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS poll.

Raman had a slight drop among Pratt supporters…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/