Los Angeles Mayoral Runoff: Bass vs. Raman

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will face City Council member Nithya Raman in a November runoff election, as NBC News projects. This sets up a face-off between two Democrats. Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and Bass emerged from a competitive primary. The field included Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star and registered Republican. Pratt ran on a platform criticizing Bass’s response to the wildfires in Los Angeles last year.

Since no candidate captured more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will proceed to the runoff. While Pratt initially seemed positioned in second place behind Bass, later vote counts favored Raman. This reflects a statewide trend in California’s primaries, where late-counted votes bolstered Democratic candidates.

Karen Bass, formerly a member of Congress, first assumed office as mayor in 2022 after defeating real estate developer Rick Caruso. Her tenure has been marked by criticism, especially regarding her absence during last year’s wildfires. These fires destroyed over 16,000 structures, and issues with water shortages impaired firefighting efforts. A March Los Angeles Times poll revealed that 56% of those surveyed held an unfavorable view of the mayor.

My team and I have tried so hard to intervene aggressively on the most urgent issues that this city is facing, our housing and homelessness crisis, building a better safety response, getting our basic services to work for people.

– Nithya Raman

Raman announced her candidacy, motivated by the city’s challenges and her belief in transformative policy change. Despite endorsing Bass prior, she chose to run, citing frustration with City Hall’s reluctance to embrace needed changes. Bass countered, asserting that Raman hadn’t effectively used her council position to push for change, stating that Raman had not been an outsider in her nearly six-year tenure.

During her campaign, Bass acknowledged public dissatisfaction with issues like the wildfires and homelessness. She emphasized progress and expressed confidence during an election night speech. “I appreciate you for believing in me,” Bass said, emphasizing her lifelong commitment to Los Angeles.

Bass’s position attracted challenges across the political spectrum. Pratt brought national attention with his campaign, largely through social media and criticisms of high-profile state Democrats. Pratt, who lost his home in the wildfires, blamed Bass for the destruction and pledged to resolve the city’s homelessness if elected. Although former President Donald Trump did not formally endorse Pratt, he expressed interest in his candidacy.

The upcoming runoff between Bass and Raman promises a different dynamic than a race between Bass and Pratt. A Los Angeles Times poll before the primary showed both Bass and Raman leading Pratt in hypothetical matchups. But the survey indicated closer competition between Bass and Raman, with 32% favoring Raman and 28% supporting Bass within the poll’s margin of error. Notably, 40% of respondents were undecided or disinclined to vote, forecasting a potentially uncertain race.