Nithya Raman Surges Ahead of Karen Bass in LA Mayoral Race Poll

Nithya Raman, a progressive candidate, has opened up an 11-point lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the latest poll for the Los Angeles mayoral election. The poll, conducted by UC Berkeley and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, surveyed 2,150 likely voters between September 15 and 20. It found 39 percent would vote for Raman, 28 percent for Bass, and a notable 33 percent remain undecided.

The significant number of undecided voters, at 33 percent, is considered unusually high this close to election day on November 3. Mail-in ballots will be sent out in two weeks. Poll director Mark DiCamillo described the situation as "extraordinarily unusual."

The poll's findings were released days after the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) accused Raman of planning to implement socialist policies, including defunding the police and closing jails. Tom Saggau, a spokesperson for the LAPPL, stated that Raman has pledged to "co-govern" with the Democratic Socialists of America's (DSA) Los Angeles chapter. He cited DSA-LA's platform, which includes demands such as decommissioning facilities like Men's Central Jail and rejecting expanded anti-terrorism laws targeting protestors.

Concerns over Raman's policy positions, coupled with dissatisfaction regarding Bass's handling of the 2025 wildfires, are thought to contribute to the high undecided vote count. The poll indicated that 56 percent of likely voters rated Bass's response to the Palisades fire, which resulted in fatalities and significant property damage, as "poor" or "very poor." According to the survey, only 23 percent of likely voters viewed Bass favorably, compared to 40 percent for Raman.

The elimination of candidate Spencer Pratt in the June 2 primary is also linked to the large bloc of undecided voters. Pratt, who ran to the right of both Raman and Bass, garnered 26 percent of the primary vote. The poll found that 63 percent of his former supporters have not yet decided between Raman and Bass.

Raman leads Bass across all age groups, with a particularly strong showing among voters aged 18 to 29, where 66 percent favor Raman and only 4 percent favor Bass.

A spokesperson for Bass's campaign stated that they are continuing to contrast Mayor Bass's record on housing, public safety, and investment with Raman's "out-of-step views." Raman's campaign countered that she has reduced homeless encampments in her district by 70 percent and voted to maintain police staffing levels. They also pointed out that Raman voted against a police union raise due to budget constraints, while the union is now reportedly heavily funding Bass's campaign amid the city's declared fiscal emergency and service cuts.