Who is Nithya Raman? From Keralam to becoming the first Indian-origin mayor of Los Angeles

NITHYA RAMAN has scripted history after being elected the new mayor of Los Angeles, defeating incumbent Mayor Karen Bass after the former secured the majority with 52 percent of the votes. Democratic politician Bass conceded defeat after the votes were tallied on November 5, 2026, with Raman, a Democratic Socialist, sharing a post on social media the same day, thanking the voters and showing gratitude towards fellow Democrat and outgoing mayor Bass. 

With this victory, Nithya Raman has become the first Indian-American to be elected as the mayor of Los Angeles, America’s second largest city by population after New York. Although she is part of the Democratic Party, the Indian-born politician is also associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a left-wing political organization. A victory for her, following a Democrats’ victory in the midterms, shows the shifting voter trends of the United States.

Nonetheless, the story of Nithya Raman, from a village in Keralam to an urban planner in the US to being the mayor-elect of the city often called the entertainment capital of the world, is astonishing, to say the least.

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The Dramatic Turnaround: How Nithya Raman won LA’s Mayoral race

According to The Times of India, the Indian-origin candidate defeated incumbent Bass despite the latter receiving support from prominent Democratic leaders like Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom. However, Raman’s campaign gained momentum after the initial primary results placed her third behind  Bass and reality television personality Spencer Pratt. Late-counted ballots helped her finish second, forcing a November reelection between the top candidates.

Although the results placing her third were remarkable, only a few experts placed her in the running to gain a majority. Eventually, in the voting held on November 3, 2026, the voters turned the tide, giving Raman a majority with 52% of the votes, ending Bass’s bid for re-election. Nithya’s victory also makes her the first challenger to defeat a sitting Los Angeles mayor in more than two decades.

Who is Nithya Raman?

Nithya Raman was born in 1981 in Thrissur, Kerala. Her father, Venkitaraman, worked at KELTRON, a state-owned public-sector enterprise, while her mother, Sudha Kechery, worked with the Indian Overseas Bank. According to reports, she spent the early part of her childhood in Thiruvanthapuram before moving to the United States at the age of six with her family and settled in Burlington, Massachusetts. 

Raman developed interest in civil duties at a young age and pursued a degree in social studies at Harvard University, where reportedly met her future husband, Vali Chandrasekaran, another Indian-origin television screenwriter. The couple have twin children, Karna and Kaveri together. Nithya later studied urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a career she followed later in her life.

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After completing her higher education, Raman returned to India and began working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in supporting slum-dwellers in Delhi. According to The Indian Express, she worked with communities opposing the eviction of slum residents ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Her work focused on the rights of people living at unofficial settlements while tracing the impact of urban development on poorer communities.

In 2010, she moved to Chennai and founded the non-profit organization Transparent Chennai. The organization used data and research to highlight civic problems in poorer neighborhoods. It mapped public toilets , documented bus routes and identified problems in sanitation facilities in unmapped settlements. The initiative also spoke against government policies that necessitated eviction of slum dwellers for better civic infrastructure.

Raman moved back to the United States in 2013, this time to Los Angeles and joined the city’s administrative office as a management trainee. She was assigned to prepare a report examining the city’s expenditure on homelessness. 

In 2017, she founded SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, an organization helping the homeless communities. Her consistent involvement in the social and civil issues eventually led to her official entry into electoral politics.

In 2020, Raman contested the Los Angeles City Council election from District 4 and defeated incumbent David Ryu to become the first challenger in 17 years to unseat a sitting council member. 

She entered this year’s Mayoral race against Karen Bass after declaring that the city had reached a breaking point and needed a change in leadership. Bass was already facing criticism over homelessness, public safety and the city’s handling of emergencies in the city. 

Despite Bass receiving support from prominent Democratic leaders, including Kamala Harris and California Gavin Newsom, Raman defeated the incumbent with a clear majority, making it a remarkable achievement for the left-wing politician. Raman is all set to assume the office in December 2026, joining Zohran Mamdani as another Indian-descent Mayor of a major American city.

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