# Los Angeles Mayoral Race Shifts with DSA Support > DSA-backed Nithya Raman edges out Karen Bass in LA mayoral race. - Title: Los Angeles Mayoral Race Shifts with DSA Support · Vanity Fair - Summary: DSA-backed Nithya Raman edges out Karen Bass in LA mayoral race. Nithya Raman, endorsed by DSA, is poised to unseat incumbent Karen Bass in Los Angeles… - Keywords: nithya raman, karen bass, dsa, los angeles, mayoral race, election night, city council, political campaign, election results, political party, Vanity Fair - Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/los-angeles-election-night-nithya-raman-karen-bass-dsa - Author: Maxwell Adler - Published: 2026-11-04T13:48:02.179+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: nithya raman, karen bass, dsa, los angeles, mayoral race, election night, city council, political campaign, election results, political party ## DSA Party Celebrates Election Night Socialists at DSA election party in Los Angeles cheered Democratic victories nationwide and celebrated Nithya Raman's potential mayoral win over Karen Bass. > Karen Bass said that she would need to be up 10 points on election night to be comfortable ## Early Election Results Show Narrow Lead Karen Bass held a less than 1% lead in early returns but ballots are expected to skew toward progressive candidate Nithya Raman. > I’m not good at math because I’m gay. Is that 10 points? I don’t think so. ## DSA and Raman Have Tense Relationship The DSA helped propel Raman to a City Council victory in 2020 but reprimanded her over disagreements about Israel, housing policy, and mansion tax. > The national DSA voted last week to preserve its Los Angeles chapter’s endorsement of Raman by a single vote ## Raman's Campaign Strategy Raman's campaign knocked on over 100,000 doors with help from DSA volunteers, aiming to defeat incumbent Karen Bass in LA mayoral race. > They managed to knock on over 100,000 doors ## Raman's Political Challenges Raman faced attacks from opponents like Spencer Pratt as a dangerous extremist but gained support from DSA members and local socialists. > Nithya has way more of entertainment’s middle class ## Raman's Campaign Team Raman's campaign manager Ian Manheimer reported nearly three quarters of his staff had never worked on a political campaign before. > Holy shit! What is good, Los Angeles? ## Raman's Grassroots Efforts Volunteers knocked on over 300 doors, with Raman's father knocking on more than 1,000 doors during the campaign. > They knocked on more than 300 doors ## Raman's Political Background Raman has a master’s in urban planning from Harvard and MIT, and her husband Vali Chandrasekaran is a television writer. > They lead with the master’s in urban planning, and the Harvard, and the MIT ## Bass's Campaign Strategy Bass defended her record on homelessness, city finances, and last year’s catastrophic fires during the campaign. > She started the LA Black Dems Club in her kitchen ## Raman's Election Night Party Raman held her election night party at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles with a crowd that skewed whiter and more Asian than Bass's supporters. > Raman’s crowd skewed whiter, and more Asian ## Raman's Potential Victory Raman is poised to unseat Karen Bass in LA mayoral race after early election returns show Bass with less than 1% lead. > Whoa, get fucked, Karen ## Key takeaway Nithya Raman, endorsed by DSA, is poised to unseat incumbent Karen Bass in Los Angeles mayoral race after early election returns show Bass with less than 1% lead.