‘Like Mean Girls 3: L.A. Edition’ - How L.A.’s new mayor defied a brutal campaign and pulled off a historic mayoral upset 2:29

Nithya Raman, a Democratic socialist, has ousted Karen Bass as mayor of L.A. in what CNN presents as a historic upset. Bass was the sitting mayor, and Raman entered the race as the underdog, which makes the outcome a stunning one. The campaign itself was brutal, with attacks coming from city leaders.

Gustavo Arellano, a columnist at the L.A. Times, explained the result to CNN's Fredricka Whitfield in an interview aired Saturday, November 7, 2026. In his telling, Raman did not back down when city leaders went after her. She kept her footing against that pressure and ultimately persuaded voters to side with her despite her long-shot position.

Arellano's analysis centers on the gap between how the contest looked at the outset and how it ended. Raman was the underdog while Bass held the office, yet the criticism from city leaders did not stop voters from choosing Raman. The exchange runs just under two and a half minutes.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →