Bass and Raman trade leads in LA mayoral race

Los Angeles voters are deciding whether to keep Mayor Karen Bass or replace her with city council member Nithya Raman in a race that has remained statistically tight through the early count. The two Democrats are separated by a slim margin as election officials process the final third of ballots. The outcome will determine if the nation's second-largest city joins New York, where Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor last year, in placing a democratic socialist in charge.

Early tallies showed Bass holding a slight advantage. Subsequent updates showed Raman gaining ground, and she briefly took the lead in a count released early Wednesday. Approximately 33% of votes had not yet been counted at that time. The race involves a city of 3.8 million residents facing persistent infrastructure and housing challenges.

Bass, 73, addressed supporters on Tuesday night, shouting, "We will achieve victory. I love Los Angeles." She led the crowd in chanting for four more years and stated, "When we fight, we win." Raman, 45, told her supporters she was "very hopeful" and urged them to dance at her election night party. She framed the contest as a choice for change, noting, "Hopelessness can be fatal for a city." She added that her campaign refused to accept that sentiment.

The incumbent faces criticism over the 2025 Palisades Fire, the most destructive blaze in city history, and a June warehouse fire that produced weeks of odor complaints. Bass was abroad when the Palisades Fire started, and the fire department was unprepared despite weather warnings. The city also struggles with visible homelessness, including encampments and rows of RVs in many neighborhoods. Hollywood employment has declined as jobs move to cheaper locations, and residents complain about delayed street paving and streetlight repairs.

Bass argues she has made sufficient progress to merit another term. She described Raman as "not ready for primetime" after six years on the council. Raman, who previously endorsed Bass before entering the race herself, said the city "cannot afford another four years of decline, of mismanagement, of excuses."

A key issue is the direction of the police department. Bass plans to hire more officers and calls Raman's views "extreme." Raman said she would replace the police chief, a move Bass called reckless ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Raman previously posted "defund the police" on social media in 2020 and opposed the 2023 police contract as too expensive. She now says the department should remain at its current size.

On homelessness, Bass cites the clearing of dozens of encampments and sheltering thousands of residents. Data indicate nearly half of those housed later dropped out of the system. Raman opposed banning tents within 500 feet of schools but said she would not block no-camping zones if elected. She aims to reduce people sleeping in encampments by at least 50% by 2028 and expand medical teams that serve street residents.

Bass has endorsements from Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and nearly every city council member. Billionaire developer Rick Caruso said he is voting for Bass but did not formally endorse her. Raman has support from Our Revolution and the Sierra Club. A Berkeley IGS/LA Times poll from October 19 to 25 found about 40% of likely voters want to reduce encampments as a top priority, while about 30% prioritize public safety or affordable housing.

The race also includes former candidate Spencer Pratt, a Republican who won about a quarter of the primary vote. Pratt lost his home in the Palisades Fire and did not advance to the November general election. His supporters remain an undecided factor in the final count.