Bass and Raman Reach a Dead Heat in Los Angeles Mayor’s Race
A new survey puts the Los Angeles mayoral contest on even footing less than a week before Election Day. Bass and City Councilmember Raman each have support from 40% of likely voters, while 19% remain undecided. In September, Raman led Bass by 11 points, the poll found. The survey of 2,197 likely city voters was conducted online in English and Spanish from October 19 to 25, with an estimated sampling uncertainty of roughly three percentage points.
Bass gained ground among people who voted for Republican Spencer Pratt in June’s primary. In the latest poll, 41% of those voters backed Bass, 14% supported Raman and 45% remained undecided. Pratt has not endorsed either candidate. Bass also widened her advantage among Black voters and moved ahead in the San Fernando Valley, while support among Latino voters was nearly even.
The candidates have sharpened their public attacks as voting approaches. Bass has criticized Raman over public-safety comments and her handling of a “gold standard” remark. Raman blamed Bass for rising utility bills during a visit to the Department of Water and Power headquarters. Bass, speaking at City Hall, promoted a plan to give the city more control over homeless services by reducing the county’s role.
About 11% of city voters had cast ballots as of Tuesday night, and voters over 65 had the highest return rate. Both Democrats and Republicans were turning out at a faster pace than in the 2022 midterms. The mayoral election is November 3, with a sizable share of likely voters still undecided.
Bass’s Attacks Help Close Los Angeles Mayor’s Race
Bass has erased Raman’s September polling lead, turning a race that once favored the challenger into a dead heat just days before Los Angeles voters decide. The latest survey puts both candidates at 40%, with 19% undecided. Bass’s gains include voters who backed Republican Spencer Pratt in June’s primary: 41% of them now support the mayor, compared with 14% for Raman.
The candidates’ competing records and priorities are on display in the final stretch. Raman has blamed Bass for soaring utility bills and said the mayor failed to bring key cost questions before the council. Bass is promoting a plan to put the city more directly in charge of homeless services, arguing that multiple layers of government make transparency difficult.
Bass’s campaign has also pressed attacks over Raman’s public-safety remarks and her “gold standard” comment. The poll shows Raman’s unfavorable rating has risen above her favorable rating, while Bass remains broadly unpopular: 65% viewed the mayor unfavorably, compared with 32% positively. A tied race does not erase that dissatisfaction; it shows how much the closing campaign fight has reshaped perceptions of the challenger.
The survey of 2,197 likely voters was conducted October 19 to 25, with a margin of error of about three points. About 11% of voters had returned ballots by Tuesday night, and 19% of likely voters remained undecided. The election is November 3.
Bass Gains Ground as Raman’s Lead Disappears
The Los Angeles mayor’s race has tightened sharply, with incumbent Karen Bass drawing even with Councilmember Nithya Raman after Raman held an 11-point lead in September. Each now has 40% support among likely voters. Bass’s strongest movement came among voters who backed Republican Spencer Pratt in the primary: 41% now favor Bass, while 14% choose Raman and 45% have not decided.
The shift underlines the importance of voters who had not settled on a candidate. Bass has made Raman’s remarks on public safety and a “gold standard” comment central to her attacks. Raman, meanwhile, has accused Bass of failing to address rising utility bills through the City Council. The candidates are offering sharply different approaches on homeless services, with Bass seeking greater city control and a reduced county role.
The mayor’s own favorability remains weak: 65% of Angelenos surveyed viewed her unfavorably, while 32% viewed her positively. Raman’s unfavorable rating also surpassed her favorable one, at 49% to 42% among likely voters. The results suggest voters are weighing both candidates critically, rather than simply rallying behind the incumbent or challenger.
The poll surveyed 2,197 likely city voters online from October 19 to 25 and has an estimated sampling uncertainty of roughly three percentage points. About 11% of voters had cast ballots by Tuesday night, with older voters showing the highest return rate. Election Day is November 3, and 19% of likely voters remain undecided.
Reported by CBS Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, ABC7 Los Angeles, FOX 11 Los Angeles, The 19th, New York Post, The Guardian US.
