Los Angeles mayoral race stays close as Karen Bass clings to a slim lead over Nithya Raman
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Early returns put incumbent Mayor Karen Bass ahead of Councilmember Nithya Raman by a narrow margin, but later ballots from younger voters could still reshape the contest.
Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is ahead of City Councilmember Nithya Raman in the mayoral contest, according to the first results reported on Tuesday. The early count, drawn from older and more conservative precincts, gave Bass a modest lead, but analysts note that later-arriving ballots, typically cast by younger voters, could narrow the margin and reveal a very different citywide picture.
Bass, 73, addressed supporters at an election-night gathering in Hollywood, leaning on familiar promises about her administration’s work on homelessness, public safety and job creation. > "I love Los Angeles, I believe in the city, and I will always fight for the city that we deserve," she said.
Raman, 45, entered the race in February after previously endorsing Bass and has presented herself as the alternative for younger Angelenos who want a break from the status quo. Campaign volunteers emphasized housing affordability as a central issue, with one volunteer saying Raman "represents the change that many city residents are yearning for."
Both candidates have drawn significant outside funding. The Los Angeles Police Protective League contributed at least $6 million to a political action committee that has aired ads criticizing Raman’s public-safety stance. A downtown business group backed by Airbnb added another $2 million to support Bass. The carpenters union spent $3.8 million on ads targeting Bass, while hedge-fund manager Aaron Sosnick contributed $8 million to committees promoting Raman.
Policy differences include Raman’s pledge to halve street homelessness by 2028 and eliminate it within her first term, contrasted with Bass’s claim that her administration reduced unsheltered homelessness by 11 percent. On public safety, Raman has called for the replacement of Police Chief Jim McDonnell, alleging an inadequate response to recent immigration raids, while Bass defended the chief’s appointment and highlighted recent police-pay raises as a retention measure.
A recent UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll showed the candidates tied at 40 percent support among likely voters, underscoring how competitive the race remains as more ballots are counted.