Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral race; Trump warns of socialist 'disaster'

A historic win in Los Angeles

Raman, 45, belongs to the Democratic Socialists of America and will be the first Asian American mayor of Los Angeles, California's most populous city, TIME reported. She defeated a longtime California political figure: Bass served six terms in Congress before becoming mayor.

Housing costs and stronger tenant protections were among Raman's policy priorities, according to TIME. Her supporters included independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Bass, meanwhile, had endorsements from former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, but TIME reported that she was unpopular with residents, many of whom criticized her handling of the devastating wildfires in Southern California the previous year.

Raman reached the November general election after defeating Spencer Pratt in the June primary. Pratt, a Republican and former reality TV star, had been Trump's favored candidate, according to TIME.

Born in Kerala in 1981, Raman came to the United States when she was six. She holds a Harvard University degree and a master's in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Trump questions the result without evidence

Reacting to the Los Angeles and Washington victories on Thursday, Trump said dissatisfied voters could eventually choose different leaders, but warned that the damage from their policies might by then be irreversible.

"They're going to have to see what happens. I mean, there'll be a point at which, if people are unhappy, there'll be change. But, unfortunately, usually that happens so late that you'll never be able to bring back a city, or a country, or a state, you know, when it goes too far," he said.

Trump also expressed surprise that Pratt had not reached the final round in Los Angeles. "I watched the election in Los Angeles, and it was a very disgraceful event, because I thought Spencer Pratt would be in the final, and so did everyone else," he said. He offered no evidence for his subsequent allegation: "Our elections are so crooked, you have no idea."

In a broader warning about progressive leadership, Trump said: "If you go by history, it's going to be a disaster. Going to be a disaster. I deal with a very nice gentleman. I get along with him great from New York. We'll see how that all works out."

Democratic socialists gain more city leadership roles

With Raman elected in Los Angeles and Janeese Lewis George winning in Washington, D.C., democratic socialists will lead those cities as well as New York, where Zohran Mamdani is already mayor.

Lewis George defeated Robert L. Gross of the DC Statehood Green Party and independent Rhonda Hamilton, NBC News reported. She will replace Muriel Bowser, who chose not to seek another term after serving three, giving Washington its first new mayor since 2015. The election was also the city's first mayoral contest conducted using ranked choice voting, which voters approved in a 2024 ballot measure.

Mamdani has spent his first year in office pursuing progressive policies, according to TIME. He has announced that an expansion of free child care is nearing rollout, put a tax on high-end second homes into effect and secured approval to freeze rents on rent-stabilized apartments.

The movement's gains in the same election cycle also included the mayor's office in Providence, Rhode Island, and several U.S. House seats in New York, Michigan and California, TIME reported. Separately, NBC News noted that Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson identifies as a democratic socialist but does not belong to the Democratic Socialists of America.