Bass Holds Narrow Early Lead Over Raman in Los Angeles Mayor’s Race
On November 3, early returns gave Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass a slim advantage over City Councilmember Nithya Raman in their contest for the city’s top office. One tally put Bass at 50.84% and Raman at 49.16%; the result was preliminary, and neither candidate had been declared the winner. Nearly 500,000 votes had been counted in another update that night, with the margin around 10,000 votes.
Raman, affiliated with the Democratic Socialist organization in America, entered the race in February after previously backing Bass. Their campaign became a clash between the incumbent and a former ally, with disagreements over homelessness, housing, policing and the city’s response to the 2025 Palisades fire. Bass has highlighted her administration’s work on crime, affordable housing and unsheltered homelessness. Raman has called the mayor’s homelessness efforts costly and ineffective, and has promised steep reductions in street homelessness.
The candidates also drew substantial support from outside groups. Police and business interests spent money backing Bass, while a carpenters union and a hedge fund manager supported efforts for Raman. The spending helped sharpen disputes over public safety, housing and the mayor’s record. Raman also pledged to replace Police Chief Jim McDonnell, though she gave different accounts during the campaign of when she would begin that process.
The count could take days. Ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received and counted for up to seven days afterward, and Raman had gained ground during the extended count in the June primary. Whoever wins will face decisions on homelessness, rebuilding after the Palisades fire, the police department and preparations for the 2028 Olympics.
Raman’s Challenge Puts Bass’s Record on Homelessness and Fire Recovery on Trial
Los Angeles voters delivered a warning to Mayor Karen Bass on November 3: her reelection bid against former ally Nithya Raman remained on a knife edge in early counting. Bass led by less than two percentage points, but the result was far from final, and Raman had previously gained ground as later ballots were counted.
Raman has made the stakes clear, attacking Bass’s approach to homelessness as expensive and ineffective. She has pledged to sharply reduce street homelessness and criticized the mayor’s handling of the Palisades fire. The close race gives force to the argument that city residents want a higher standard from City Hall, not another defense of an incumbent’s record.
The contest also exposed the influence of well-funded interests. Police and business groups spent to support Bass, while a carpenters union and a hedge fund manager backed campaigns for Raman. Raman argued that outside spending reflected pay-to-play politics during Bass’s tenure. The mayor, in turn, said police raises helped keep officers from leaving and defended a major Convention Center project as an economic investment.
Raman has also promised to replace Police Chief Jim McDonnell, criticizing the department’s response to federal immigration raids and protests. Her timeline shifted during the campaign, but the issue put policing and accountability at the center of the race. With ballots still arriving, the count—not the mayor’s early lead—will determine who governs amid homelessness, housing pressures and the work of rebuilding after the fire.
Bass’s Narrow Lead Offers a Choice Between City Hall Experience and Raman’s Promises
Mayor Karen Bass held a narrow early lead on November 3, as Los Angeles voters weighed her record against a challenger whose promises would take the city further left. The result was not final, and ballots could continue to shift the count for days.
Bass has pointed to progress on violent crime, affordable housing and reducing unsheltered homelessness. She has also defended raises for police officers, saying they helped prevent a larger loss of personnel. Those are practical arguments for an incumbent facing a difficult set of city problems; Raman’s promise to replace Police Chief Jim McDonnell, by contrast, came with changing explanations of when she would act.
Raman has criticized Bass’s homelessness strategy and pledged to cut street homelessness dramatically. But the mayor’s supporters have challenged Raman’s positions on public safety and housing, while Bass has argued that her rival does not work effectively with her City Council colleagues. The election is a test of whether voters want a change in leadership or trust the incumbent to keep managing the city’s responsibilities.
The stakes extend beyond the campaign’s rhetoric. The next mayor will oversee recovery from the Palisades fire, decisions about housing and the police department, and preparations for the 2028 Olympics. Outside groups spent heavily on both sides, with police and business interests supporting Bass and labor and other backers financing efforts for Raman. The final count will decide which vision takes charge.
Reported by LAist, Los Angeles Times, Variety, CBS Los Angeles, Deadline, New York Post, The Hollywood Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The 19th.
