Bass and Raman Tie at 40 Percent as Los Angeles Voters Head to the Ballot
A UC Berkeley poll shows the mayoral race deadlocked with 19 percent of likely voters undecided just days before Tuesday's election.
By Tyler Khalil ·
Forty percent. That is the precise share of likely Los Angeles voters backing both incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. The survey, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, finds the race for the second-largest city in the nation completely deadlocked on the eve of Tuesday’s election. Another 19 percent of respondents remain undecided, leaving a substantial portion of the electorate up for grabs.
The current numbers mark a sharp reversal for Bass, who faced an 11 percentage point deficit in a September poll from the same institute. At that time, Raman held 39 percent support against Bass’s 28 percent. The shift coincides with a surge in negative advertising from Bass and independent political action committees targeting the councilwoman’s record on public safety.
Critics have focused on Raman’s call to remove Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell. Opponents have also questioned her experience in managing a city of her size. The attacks intensified in early October when Raman’s campaign released a video featuring the councilwoman and a leftist influencer. In the clip, Raman urged viewers to “stop fascist liars” before showing images of Bass and McDonnell.
Bass pressed Raman on the video during a televised debate. Tensions escalated further when Raman described the LAPD as a “gold standard” under former Chief Daryl Gates. Gates led the department during the 1991 beating of Rodney King, an event that sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Those riots ended only after California’s National Guard and federal officers arrived six days later. Gates finally left the LAPD on June 28, 1992, and was replaced by Willie Williams.
Bass accused Raman of overlooking the city’s history and acting as an outsider. Raman defended her comments by citing Special Order 40, a directive implemented during Gates’ tenure that limits police cooperation with immigration enforcement. She later apologized for the remark. Raman is running to fix what she calls a “broken city,” criticizing Bass for costly initiatives such as a billion-dollar police salary agreement and a downtown convention center modernization project.
Bass is seeking four more years to continue work on homelessness, housing, affordability, and public safety. Her campaign has adopted aggressive tactics to dissuade voters from choosing Raman, whom Bass says is “not ready for prime time.” The candidates have sparred repeatedly on these core issues while both teams target undecided voters.
Voting patterns in the Berkeley poll reveal distinct demographic divides. Bass receives more support from older residents and voters who backed Spencer Pratt in the June election. Raman, who defeated Pratt to secure the nomination, draws stronger backing from younger voters and the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter. The two candidates are currently competing intensely for Black and Latino voters as well as the traditional Democratic base.
