There is something seriously wrong with the voters in California. Los Angeles just handed its City Hall keys to a Democratic Socialist. Decision Desk HQ called the mayoral race Wednesday evening, declaring City Councilwoman Nithya Raman the winner over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, roughly 24 hours after polls closed.
Raman pulled in 405,193 votes, or 51.67 percent, against Bass’s 379,069 votes, or 48.33 percent. That’s a margin of 26,124 votes, about 3.3 percentage points, with roughly 784,000 ballots tabulated, representing an estimated 67 to 72 percent of expected votes. Los Angeles County is still grinding through mail and provisional ballots, with official certification expected later this month.
How did this happen? Bass actually led by about 1.5 to 2 percentage points on election night. Then, as only California can do, the later ballots rolled in and flipped everything upside down. Raman moved ahead shortly after midnight and widened her lead with every update Wednesday, setting up the evening call. Analysts note that ballots counted later in Los Angeles tend to favor younger and more progressive voters, which lines up perfectly with Raman’s support base. Shocking, we know.
This wasn’t even Raman’s first late-count miracle. Nithya Raman defeating Karen Bass in the runoff was set up back in June, when a similar pattern played out in the nonpartisan primary. Bass finished first with 292,593 votes, or 34.3 percent. Raman took second with 247,781 votes, or 29 percent. Former reality TV personality Spencer Pratt finished third with 217,977 votes, or 25.5 percent, and he actually led Raman in early returns before she overtook him as more ballots came in. Bass and Raman advanced to the November runoff since no one hit a majority.
Now here’s the fun part. Raman, who was first elected to the City Council in 2020, had previously endorsed Bass before deciding she’d rather run against her. Nothing says Democratic Party loyalty like backing your friend right up until the moment you stab her in the back politically. Raman then campaigned on changes to city management and homelessness spending, alongside a full menu of left-wing priorities, and earned the endorsement of the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
So Bass is now headed out of office, losing to a former ally who is openly backed by socialists. The city that can’t keep the lights on or the homeless off the sidewalks has decided the problem is that leadership wasn’t left-wing enough. Makes total sense.
Raman will now take charge of City Hall, with the DSA crowd celebrating in the streets. Official certification is expected later this month, at which point Los Angeles will be officially, formally, on paper, run by a candidate endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America. For a city already struggling with homelessness, crime, and the aftermath of devastating wildfires, this is either a bold new direction or a sequel nobody asked for.
