Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman sidestepped questions about whether she still intends to oust LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and reduce police staffing during a brief first press conference Thursday.
“You know, I have spoken to leadership at LAPD already. In fact, I spoke to Chief McDonnell earlier today, and it was one of the first calls that I made,” Raman said during an appearance at the Original Farmers Market. “Because public safety is the most important service that the city is delivering to its people. It is hands down the most important service.”
But the Democratic Socialists of America-backed city councilwoman stopped short of directly answering whether she would follow through on her campaign pledge to replace McDonnell or make major changes to the LAPD.
“I want to make sure that whatever happens over this transition, that we are prepared to deliver that service at the level that Angelenos expect when I take office in mid-December,” Raman continued. “And I know Chief McDonnell is committed to that, I am committed to that, and will continue those discussions.”
The questions came hours after the latest Los Angeles County election returns showed Raman with 460,772 votes, or 52.70%, compared with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass’s 413,519 votes, or 47.30%, giving Raman a 47,253-vote lead.
Raman’s lead has grown dramatically since Tuesday night, when Bass initially held a narrow 9,941-vote advantage. The race has since swung by 57,194 votes in Raman’s favor as successive batches of ballots have broken heavily toward the challenger.
Bass conceded the race Thursday, clearing the way for Raman to become Los Angeles’ first DSA-endorsed mayor.
During Raman’s appearance at the farmers market shortly after 5 p.m., she appeared flanked by campaign aides and City Hall staffers as curious shoppers and passersby stopped to catch a glimpse of the city’s incoming mayor.
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Raman fielded only a handful of questions from the 30 or so reporters gathered before departing.
During the campaign, she said that she intended to replace McDonnell before the 2028 Olympics, arguing that the department needed a significant change in leadership and culture.
Her position drew sharp criticism from the Los Angeles Police Protective League and Bass, who warned that replacing the chief could undermine efforts to rebuild the department.
The dispute comes as LAPD staffing has fallen from roughly 10,000 sworn officers in 2020 to fewer than 8,700 this spring, its lowest level in about 25 years.
The city has been scrambling to rebuild the force ahead of the Olympics, with a goal of reaching 9,500 officers by 2028.
Raman has advocated for expanding unarmed emergency response teams to handle certain calls that do not require police officers, raising questions about how her administration will balance those proposals with demands for more officers.
The mayor-elect grew visibly emotional when asked what winning the election meant to her, reflecting on her journey as an immigrant and the significance of her victory.
“I am an immigrant to this country,” Raman told reporters. “And this is the city of immigrants in so many ways.”
“The idea that Angelenos voted for an immigrant to be their next mayor, at this moment in American history, is so deeply moving to me,” she added.
But Raman’s historic victory also leaves her facing enormous challenges, including 45,194 homeless residents, mounting financial pressures, a depleted police force and preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Pressed about her priorities for her first 100 days, Raman also failed to give a firm answer,
“We have 40 days to build this transition,” she said, calling it one of the shortest transitions in the country for a city of 4 million people.
Raman said she had spent much of Thursday fielding congratulatory phone calls and preparing for the transition.
“When we have more to announce about what that transition looks like and what the first 100 days will look like, we will share that with you.”
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