Indian-Origin Nithya Raman Elected Mayor of Los Angeles

Nithya Raman has been elected mayor of Los Angeles after defeating incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a closely fought race. The 45-year-old is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and takes charge of the second most populous city in the U.S. after New York. She is the first Los Angeles mayoral candidate to defeat an incumbent since 2005.

Early Life and Education

Born in Keralam, Ms. Raman spent her early years between Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur. Her father worked for Keltron and her mother was an employee of Indian Overseas Bank. The family moved to the U.S. for better opportunities when she was six years old, and she became a U.S. citizen at the age of 22. She graduated in Social Studies from Harvard University in 2003 and later earned a master's degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Activism and Political Rise

After her studies, Ms. Raman spent time in India leading Transparent Chennai, a group that worked for better slum sanitation using data-driven programmes. She also joined protests against the eviction of slum dwellers in Delhi. Returning to the U.S. in 2013, she worked in the city administrative office and fought against homelessness before winning a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 2020. Her mayoral campaign focused on building affordable homes, improving city services, fixing the local movie business, and addressing homelessness.

Context

Mayoral races in major American cities often centre heavily on local issues like housing costs and municipal services. The Democratic Socialists of America is a political and activist organisation operating within the broader U.S. political landscape.