Nithya Raman surges to 11-point lead over Karen Bass in LA mayoral poll
Raman holds big lead over Mayor Bass, new poll shows
A new UC Berkeley/LA Times poll shows Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman taking a sizable lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the LA mayor's race.
LOS ANGELES - A new survey reveals that Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has opened a double-digit lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the mayoral race.
With less than six weeks remaining until the final vote, the late surge marks a dramatic shift in momentum following the earlier primary election.
What we know:
A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, co-sponsored and reported on by the Los Angeles Times, shows Nithya Raman leading incumbent Mayor Karen Bass among likely voters.
Raman currently holds 39% support compared to 28% for Bass, according to the latest data.
The online survey gathered responses from 2,150 likely Los Angeles voters between September 15 and September 20, carrying a margin of error of approximately 3 percentage points.
The poll numbers mark a significant reversal from the June primary election, where Bass finished in first place with 34% of the vote and Raman placed second with 29%. The survey also highlights voter sentiment toward both candidates, revealing that 63% of respondents view Bass unfavorably, whereas 39% view Raman unfavorably.
What we don't know:
While Raman holds a firm advantage in the latest survey, the ultimate outcome is uncertain because 33% of likely voters indicate they are still undecided.
A primary driver of this uncertainty lies with the electorate that backed alternative options earlier in the year; roughly 63% of voters who supported Spencer Pratt in the June primary have not yet chosen a candidate for the runoff. It is unclear how these uncommitted voters will divide their support as campaign outreach intensifies in the final weeks.
What's next:
Both candidates are scheduled to participate in back-to-back conversations on September 29 as part of the Jewish Los Angeles Mayoral Forum in West Los Angeles, organized by the Jewish Federation Los Angeles.
What you can do:
You can access ballot details, key dates, and voter registration lookup via the California Secretary of State Voter Portal.
You can also check local ballot dispatch schedules and sample ballot materials using the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk website.
The Source: This report is based on survey data gathered and published by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies in partnership with the Los Angeles Times.