Mayor-elect Nithya Raman was applauded by her peers at her first City Council meeting since winning the mayoral election and unseating current Mayor Karen Bass.
While none of her colleagues endorsed her during the race, several City Council members have since come forward to congratulate the new mayor and have expressed a willingness to work with her in the future.
Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson addressed the room, saying elections are a way for Los Angeles to come together and calling the day “very special.”
“Once we’ve all cast our votes and the officials count the votes, we decide who wins and how we are going to come together and move forward,” Harris-Dawson said. “This morning, we are excited to report that the people of this great city … they have chosen of this body’s own, Councilmember Nithya Raman.”
Raman stood following the City Council president’s remarks, and the room erupted in applause. Several councilmembers commended Raman, describing her as a leader who is unafraid to be the lone voice in a room.
Councilmember Ysabel J. Jurado called Tuesday a “good” day and said she greatly respected the mayor-elect.
“As the first South Asian American, I must confess that when you did run, that is something that inspired me,” Jurado said. “I think for folks that you’re mayor now, that’s a big impact.”
Several other councilmembers expressed their support for working alongside Raman toward shared goals, including Adrin Nazarian, Heather Hutt, Monica Rodriguez and Eunisses Hernandez.
Raman has served as the councilmember for District Four since her election in 2020. During her tenure on the City Council, Raman served on several committees, including the Housing and Homelessness Committee, Energy and Environment Committee, and Public Works and Transportation Committee.
Raman also addressed the room, thanking her colleagues and saying she looks forward to working alongside them to build a better Los Angeles.
She acknowledged each councilmember, thanking them for what they had taught her during her time on the council. Raman said she is committed to serving as the District Four councilmember during her final weeks in the role and carrying each lesson with her into her new position as mayor.
She promised that she would be a mayor who remembers what it is like to serve as on the City Council and aims to aid all districts in delivering effective results to their constituents.
“We are all here because we love L.A. and we want to make it better, and I know that about every single one of you,” Raman said. “And that passion sometimes makes us get spicy about the differences that we have on how we get there. But we have worked through it on the council, and I know how to do that work. And just because I’m down the hall doesn’t mean I am going to forget how to do that work.”
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