Indian-origin politician Nithya Raman defeats incumbent Karen Bass to win the Los Angeles mayoral race, marking a historic milestone. Progressive City Council member Nithya Raman is projected to win Los Angeles’ mayoral race against incumbent Karen Bass. Born in Kerala and trained in urban planning at Harvard and MIT,. Kerala-born Nithya Raman has defeated incumbent Karen Bass to win the Los Angeles mayoral race, making history as the city's first Asian-American mayor.