City Councilmember Nithya Raman has defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race.

Unofficial Election results from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder showed Raman leading with more than 52 percent of the vote, compared to Bass’s 47 percent.

Bass said she called Raman to concede. In a video posted on X, Raman thanked supporters and paid tribute to the outgoing mayor.

“I am going to City Hall to work every single day to earn your trust. And to earn your trust in this city again. And that work starts now,” she added.

“So that we can build housing that people can afford, parks for our children to play in, a transit system that can get people where they need to go, a city that is safe for its working people and its families, and a city government that is actually capable of delivering on its promises.”

Raman, 45, who is of Indian origin, was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020 with the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America. She entered the mayoral race at the last minute after previously endorsing Bass for reelection.

She will take office next month after Bass’s term expires.

Bass’s defeat marked the first time in two decades that a Los Angeles mayor lost a reelection bid. She pledged to ensure a smooth transition.

“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken,” Bass said in a statement posted on X. “Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us.”

Bass had support from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She served in the state Legislature and Congress before becoming mayor in 2022.

In her video address, Raman described Bass as “someone who has given decades of her life to making the city what it is today.”

Raman initially endorsed Bass’s reelection bid but launched her own mayoral campaign just hours before the filing deadline in February.

She told The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast in September that her decision stemmed from frustration over the city’s direction, particularly what she called the mayor’s “lack of urgency” on disaster response, such as last year’s deadly Palisade Fire, and tackling housing issues in Los Angeles.

After Raman advanced to the runoff in the June primary election, Bass’s campaign issued a statement criticizing her for failing to reduce homeless encampments near schools. 

Beige Luciano-Adams and The Associated Press contributed to this report.