LA mayor race between Karen Bass, Nithya Raman too close to call
LOS ANGELES - The battle for Los Angeles City Hall between incumbent Karen Bass and challenger Councilwoman Nithya Raman remains too close to call as of Tuesday night.
By the numbers:
As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, with 50% of votes counted, Bass had 50.7% of votes while Raman had 49.3%.
Ballots continue to be counted, and it's unclear when the race could be called.
The candidates
What we know:
Bass is no stranger to national scrutiny, having been in the headlines for multiple issues impacting the city, such as the January 2025 wildfires, standing up for immigrants against federal agents, and her handling of the city’s homeless crisis.
The incumbent and LA native campaigned on her record over the past four years, emphasizing progress in addressing homelessness and lower crime rates while pledging to continue her policy agenda if reelected.
Karen Bass addresses supporters amid heated LA mayoral race
Incumbent Karen Bass addresses her supporters as the Los Angeles mayoral race between Bass and challenger Nithya Raman continues to be close.
Raman, a former ally to Bass and proud immigrant, ran on a campaign to make the nation’s second-largest city more affordable for everyone. The councilwoman believes she will make a greater impact as leader of the city as opposed to being one of 15 council members.
Raman appeared to gain momentum in the polls leading up to the election, while also earning an endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America.
Bass also garnered numerous endorsements from high-profile political figures, including Dolores Huerta, Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi, and Kamala Harris.
The backstory:
In 2022, Bass became the first female mayor of Los Angeles when she beat Rick Caruso with 54.8% of the vote.
For now, it remains unclear who will be the face of the city for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.