Los Angeles mayoral candidates make final push before June 2 primary

Los Angeles mayoral candidates make final push

The countdown is on for the Tuesday, June 2 California primary as the Los Angeles Mayor's seat is up for grabs.

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles’ top mayoral candidates spread out across the city Sunday for a final push before Tuesday’s primary election.

Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt each made closing arguments to voters as early voting continued, and campaigns worked to reach people who still had not decided.

At the North Hollywood Library, voter Dawn Kovner dropped off her ballot before Election Day.

"There were a lot of people on the ballot, so there was a lot of noise," Kovner said. "But I think my family pretty much knows what direction we want to go in when we vote."

Other voters said the race remains difficult to sort through.

"I think it’s been pretty complicated," said Alfredo Garcia, an undecided voter. "It’s basically that you just don’t know who to vote for."

That uncertainty is what campaigns are trying to break through in the final hours of the race.

Bass, the incumbent, campaigned Sunday in Venice before heading to Pico-Union. She is running on her record, pointing to a reported 17.5 percent drop in homelessness, the lowest homicide rate in the city since the 1960s and 42,000 affordable housing units in the pipeline.

"So there are a lot of parts of the city that need to be woken up to the 21st century, and I have been focused on that," Bass said.

Raman said her campaign is about changing the direction of the city and expanding the work she has done on the City Council.

"I’m running because I have deep frustrations with the direction of the city right now," Raman said.

Pratt used a pothole as a campaign stop, arguing Los Angeles residents are not being heard when they report problems to the city.

"You can get messages all day long on 311, complain into the void," Pratt said. "You could actually be more effective on food apps leaving a rating than you can when complaining about anything in the city."

Political strategist Luis Alvarado said the race has shifted in the final stretch.

"At the beginning of the race, it was a complete referendum on Karen Bass and her leadership, especially under the duress of the fires," Alvarado said. "And now that the candidates have identified themselves, people are trying to choose not the best candidate based on what they did yesterday, but who’s going to be able to do well tomorrow."

Vote centers are open Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Tuesday, they are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ballot drop boxes also close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.