Bass and Raman Make Final Appeals in Deadlocked LA Race
Bass joined gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra at Homegirl Cafe in downtown Los Angeles on Monday morning, greeting customers and staff as she sought another term. Becerra was campaigning alongside Bass despite a very different contest: a recent poll put him 27 points ahead of Republican Steve Hilton in the governor’s race.
A recent survey conducted by Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies for the Los Angeles Times found Bass and Raman tied at 40%, with 19% of voters undecided. Bass was finishing a 15-day campaign tour, while Raman urged supporters at UCLA to reject what she called a failing status quo and seek changes to city government.
A controversy over a Raman campaign staffer’s personal video added to the candidates’ final exchanges. Raman’s campaign said the staffer’s remarks about the Michigan Senate race were unacceptable, apologized, and said the part-time staffer had been dismissed. Raman said he was removed as soon as the video surfaced. Bass questioned what the episode suggested about Raman’s leadership.
The candidates have also clashed over public safety, homelessness and housing. Bass has pledged to increase LAPD staffing to 9,500 by the 2028 Olympics and revamp the city’s response to homelessness. Raman has proposed changes to public safety and housing policy and says she aims to halve the number of people living in tents or encampments by 2028.
Los Angeles has 45,194 people experiencing homelessness, while LAPD staffing has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 25 years. Voters will decide the mayoral contest on November 3.
Raman Offers Change as Bass Defends a Troubled Status Quo
Los Angeles voters face a choice between a mayor defending her record and a challenger arguing that City Hall has failed residents. On November 2, Nithya Raman told supporters at UCLA that the city needs systemic change, while Mayor Karen Bass used a final campaign stop at a downtown cafe to press for another term.
A recent Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey for the Los Angeles Times put both candidates at 40%, with 19% undecided. That leaves the outcome open as Raman focuses on affordability, transparency and municipal reform, and Bass stresses her experience and disputes Raman’s record on housing and homelessness.
Bass also seized on a video by a part-time Raman campaign staffer that included remarks about the Michigan Senate race. Raman’s campaign condemned the comments, apologized and dismissed the staffer; Raman said he was removed immediately. The episode became another line of attack in an already contentious contest, but it does not erase the policy questions facing voters.
Los Angeles has 45,194 people experiencing homelessness, and police staffing is at its lowest level in nearly 25 years. Bass promises to raise the force’s numbers to 9,500 by the 2028 Olympics and revamp the city’s approach to homelessness. Raman has proposed changes to public safety and housing policy and pledged to halve the number of people living in tents or encampments by 2028.
The election puts the city’s response to persistent problems at stake. Voters decide on November 3 whether to give Bass another term or choose Raman’s call for a different approach.
Bass Makes Case for Experience as Raman’s Readiness Faces Scrutiny
With Los Angeles preparing for the 2028 Olympics and facing serious homelessness and public-safety challenges, Mayor Karen Bass is asking voters to keep her in office. Her final campaign push on November 2 emphasized continuity and her pledge to raise LAPD staffing to 9,500 officers.
The race remains tied: a recent Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey for the Los Angeles Times placed Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman at 40% each, with 19% undecided. Bass has questioned Raman’s experience and record on housing and homelessness. Raman, who has called for a break from the current direction at City Hall, is proposing changes to public safety and housing policy.
Bass also criticized Raman after a part-time campaign staffer posted a personal video with remarks about the Michigan Senate race. Raman’s campaign condemned the comments, apologized and said the staffer had been dismissed. Raman said he was removed as soon as the video surfaced. The episode intensified scrutiny of the challenger’s campaign as voters weighed who is prepared to lead the city.
The challenges are substantial. Los Angeles has 45,194 people experiencing homelessness, and LAPD staffing has fallen to its lowest point in nearly 25 years. Bass says her plans would strengthen policing and revamp the city’s response to homelessness; Raman says she aims to halve the number of people living in tents or encampments by 2028.
Voters will choose on November 3 between Bass’s experience and Raman’s promise of a different course.
Reported by New York Post, FOX 11 Los Angeles, The Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS Los Angeles, Townhall, Daily Mail US.
