Nithya Raman Takes Double-Digit Lead Over Karen Bass in Los Angeles Mayoral Race, Poll Shows

Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has established an 11-point lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the race for the city's top office, according to a University of California Berkeley Institute of Government Studies/Los Angeles Times poll released Wednesday. Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, garnered 39% support among likely voters, while Bass secured 28%.

A significant portion of the electorate, one-third of likely Los Angeles voters, remains undecided, a finding poll director Mark DiCamillio called "extraordinarily unusual" with mail-in ballots set to be sent out soon for the Nov. 3 election.

The poll suggests that many of these undecided voters were previously supporters of independent mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt. Pratt, who was eliminated in the June primary, came in third with 26% of the vote. Among his former supporters, 63% are undecided, with 22% leaning toward Bass and 16% toward Raman.

Pratt, a reality TV star and influencer, commented on the poll's findings on social media, stating he had predicted Raman's surge over Bass if he was not elected. "I told everyone that if you don’t vote for me, Raman will beat Bass. That’s why she entered the race 10 minutes before the clerk's office closed. She knew I was gonna destroy Bass 1-on-1. Good luck LA," Pratt wrote.

Bass and Raman, who finished first and second respectively in the primary, are advancing to the general election. The new poll also indicates Bass faces a challenging public perception, with a 63% unfavorable rating among Los Angeles voters compared to Raman's 39% unfavorable rating.

A generational divide appears to be a factor, with Raman winning the support of voters aged 18 to 39, while Bass leads among those 65 and older by 20 points.

Raman has received the endorsement of the DSA's Los Angeles chapter and backing from some local unions. Mayor Bass, a former state lawmaker and U.S. House representative, holds endorsements from members of Congress, the state legislature, and LA County officials.

The poll surveyed 2,150 likely Los Angeles voters online between Sept. 15 and Sept. 20, with a margin of error of approximately 3 percentage points.

Raman highlighted the poll's results on social media, calling it "big news" and emphasizing the "momentum we’re seeing on the ground." Bass, however, downplayed the poll, referring to it as an "outlier" that "got the June primary wrong" and stating that "this is going to be a close race."