Nithya Raman Defeats Karen Bass in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral election, with Bass conceding on Thursday, November 5. The result followed a campaign that included pointed exchanges about Israel at a forum for the city's Jewish community. Bass, who was seeking a second term, said she had called Raman to congratulate her and committed to a smooth transition. The updated count put Raman at 52.1% of the vote against Bass's 47.9%, a gap of roughly 35,000 votes. Raman, a city councilmember, said: “It is a great honor for me to be your next mayor.” At the September 29 Jewish mayoral forum at the Skirball Cultural Center, Raman repeated her allegation that Israel's war in Gaza amounted to genocide. Bass rejected that characterization. The Jewish Federation Los Angeles organized the event as separate conversations with the two candidates about issues affecting the Jewish community. Rabbi Noah Farkas, the federation's chief executive, said at that September forum that the genocide allegation caused pain and crossed a red line for elected officials. He also said the organization would work with whoever became mayor. Those comments preceded the election result; they were part of the campaign's debate over relations with the Jewish community.