Democrat Nithya Raman leads incumbent Karen Bass in the high-stakes Los Angeles mayoral race with

Nithya Raman Leads Incumbent Karen Bass in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

Democrat Nithya Raman leads incumbent Karen Bass in the high-stakes Los Angeles mayoral race with 377,458 votes to Bass’s 360,864 votes, manoramaonline.com reported. The final outcome in the contest for the second-largest city in the United States remains unconfirmed as election officials continue tabulating ballots.

Incumbent Faces Strong Challenge From City Council Member

Karen Bass has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since December 2022. Nithya Raman, 45, currently represents District 4 on the Los Angeles City Council, a seat she has held for approximately six years. Raman made history as the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian individual to serve on the city council. During her tenure, her legislative work centered on expanding shelter services and building housing for unhoused populations.

Roots Stretch Back to Thiruvananthapuram

Born in Kerala on July 28, 1981, Raman spent her early childhood years in Thiruvananthapuram. Her family lived for decades on Ramaswamy Kovil Street in the Kottakkakam area of the city. Her grandfather, K. Ramayyan, worked as a postmaster, while her parents, R. Venkataraman and Sudha, were employed by Keltron and the Indian Overseas Bank respectively. The family emigrated to the United States when Raman was six years old, initially settling in Louisiana. She lives in Silver Lake with her husband, screenwriter Vali Chandrasekaran, and their twin children, Karna and Kaveri.

Counting Continues as Final Results Remain Pending

While current tallies show Raman ahead of the incumbent mayor, election authorities stated that determining the final winner will take several more hours.

More on this story: Los Angeles Mayoral Race Features Bass and Raman · California voters cast ballots for governor and statewide offices