Raman sets December timeline for mayoral transition after council farewell
The new mayor-elect pledged to work with former rivals and address a 13.8% voting absence record during her final council address.
By Natalia Costa ·
Nithya Raman will vacate her Los Angeles City Council seat at midnight on December 13, 2026, before assuming the mayoral office on December 14. She made this timeline explicit during a farewell speech to her colleagues on Tuesday, marking the end of her six-year tenure as a councilmember. Raman, who defeated former Mayor Karen Bass in a major upset, stated she intends to maintain a working relationship with the council despite their opposing stances during the campaign.
During the meeting, Raman told her peers she would be "spicy" with them to find outcomes that benefit all sides. She emphasized that her new location down the hall from the council chambers would not change her approach to their shared work. "Just because I'm down the hall doesn't mean I'm gonna forget how to do that work," Raman said. She pledged to put political differences aside to focus on governing.
The council's leadership structure will face immediate changes following Raman's departure. Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said a decision on Raman's successor is unlikely for at least one month. He noted that the council is entering a recess and that no final decisions will be made until the mayor-elect officially leaves her seat. Harris-Dawson confirmed he intends to remain council president and insisted that the tensions from the campaign would not derail their six-year working history.
Raman entered office with a mandate to address homelessness, a central issue of her campaign. The city currently counts 45,194 homeless residents, with 29,115 living without shelter. Raman has pledged to cut street homelessness in half by the 2028 Olympics. While she criticized the spending of Bass's Inside Safe program, Raman indicated that some version of the initiative will continue. Her administration will work to fill vacant shelter beds and develop a plan to meet her specific reduction target.
Her political rise was marked by a lack of institutional support during the mayoral race. Raman did not secure a single endorsement from the 14 other councilmembers, many of whom supported her opponent. Her voting record also drew attention, with a review showing she missed 2,982 of 21,562 recorded votes from December 2020 through October 2, 2026. This absence rate totals roughly 13.8%. Raman also faces early policy challenges, including a pledge to replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell before his term expires in 2030, a move that drew sharp criticism from police unions.
Raman, a former urban planner who first won her district in 2020 by unseating David Ryu, will inherit a complex political environment. She has the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America, a group whose positions on policing and housing have fueled local divisions. On personal matters, Raman said she has not decided whether to move into the Getty House, the traditional mayoral residence. She cited the fact that her twins are entering middle school and she wishes to preserve the peace in their current neighborhood.
Staffing decisions for the mayor's office are also in flux. Members of Raman's council staff indicated that personnel changes are still being worked out as she transitions into her new role. The council will now focus on the recess period before reconvening to address the vacancy in District 4 and other municipal matters.
