Nithya Raman Advances to Los Angeles Mayoral Runoff

Nithya Raman, an Indian-American member of the Los Angeles City Council, advanced to the November 3, 2026 mayoral runoff election in Los Angeles, California. She finished second in the June 2, 2026 primary election behind incumbent Karen Bass.

Los Angeles Mayoral Election

The Los Angeles mayoral election uses a primary and runoff system. In the June 2, 2026 primary, Karen Bass secured 34.3% of the vote, Nithya Raman received 28.6%, and Spencer Pratt received 25.8% with 93% of votes counted by June 8, 2026. The runoff election on November 3, 2026, is the first Los Angeles mayoral runoff in two decades. Nithya Raman led Spencer Pratt by 229,576 votes to 207,757 votes by June 8, 2026.

Nithya Raman and Los Angeles City Council

Nithya Raman is a Los Angeles City Council member and was re-elected to the council in 2024. She entered the mayoral race 115 days before the primary election. Her campaign focused on renters, younger voters, housing, homelessness solutions, and faster construction and infrastructure delivery.

Mayoral Runoff System in the United States

A runoff election is held when no candidate secures a required majority or when local election rules place the top two candidates in a second round. Los Angeles uses a non-partisan municipal election system for city offices. Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and one of the largest municipal governments in the United States.

Important Facts for Exams

• Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States by population.
• Runoff elections are common in many local government systems in the United States.
• The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the city government.
• Indian-Americans have held elected office in several major United States cities.

Exam Facts

The November 3, 2026 runoff will decide the Mayor of Los Angeles for the next term. Karen Bass is the incumbent mayor of Los Angeles.