Nithya Raman projected to defeat Karen Bass in Los Angeles mayoral race

NBC News and several other organizations projected City Council member Nithya Raman to defeat incumbent Karen Bass after later ballot counts put Raman ahead. The contest focused on homelessness, housing costs, public safety and Bass’s handling of the 2025 wildfires.

• Raman, a 45-year-old City Council member, was projected to win the mayoral race, while later reported counts showed her lead growing as more ballots were tallied.· 2 sources
• Bass’s response to the January 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire drew scrutiny during the campaign. The fire destroyed thousands of homes and killed 12 people, according to NBC News.· 1 source
• The candidates differed on homelessness, housing and public safety. Raman criticized City Hall’s approach and emphasized affordability; Bass promoted her Inside Safe program and plans to increase LAPD staffing.· 2 sources
• The candidates also disagreed over whether Israel’s actions in Gaza constituted genocide; NBC News reported that Raman agreed with that description and Bass rejected it.· 1 source
• Some right-leaning coverage focused on the shifting count and voter groups, while Breitbart emphasized allegations that Bass sought changes to a wildfire after-action report. Bass’s office denied demanding changes, according to that report.· 3 sources