A hard-fought race for Los Angeles mayor comes to a head Tuesday, when voters choose between incumbent Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, her former ally. Bass, who is seeking a second term leading the second-largest city in the nation, is neck-and-neck with Raman in terms of voter support, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, released Wednesday.
The poll found that both mayoral candidates have 40 percent support from likely L.A. voters, with 19 percent of voters still undecided. For Bass, the poll comes as a positive sign after a September poll conducted by the institute had Raman ahead with an 11-percentage-point lead, with support from 39 percent of likely voters compared to Bass, who had 28 percent.
In recent weeks, Bass and political action committees, which are supposed to be independent from the candidates, have attacked Raman. These attacks have focused on public safety, specifically Raman’s call to oust Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, and portrayals of the councilwoman as inexperienced to run such a large city.
Raman faced further scrutiny in early October after her campaign team shared a video that featured the councilwoman and a leftist influencer. In the video, Raman urged people to “stop fascist liars,” followed by photos of Bass and McDonnell.
During a televised mayoral debate, Bass had pressed Raman over that video. More issues followed after Raman said the LAPD was at a “gold standard” under former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates. Gates oversaw the department when LAPD officers beat and arrested Rodney King on March 3, 1991. In the aftermath, residents criticized the department and called for Gates to resign. Then-Mayor Tom Bradley urged Gates to resign, which he refused to do.
Gates later announced his intention to resign on July 13, 1991, but he wouldn’t step down until nearly a full year later. On April 29, 1992, some Los Angeles residents erupted into rioting
following the acquittal of four LAPD officers — three white, one Latino — accused of beating King.
The 1992 L.A. Riots ended six days after the arrival of California’s National Guard and federal officers. Gates left the LAPD on June 28, 1992, and was replaced by Willie Williams. Bass accused Raman of not understanding the city’s history and being an outsider. Raman had defended herself, saying that she was referring to the LAPD’s Special Order 40 that was implemented under Gates’ tenure. The directive mandates noncooperation related to immigration enforcement and prohibits city officers from stopping residents regarding immigration status.
Raman later apologized for her comments. Meanwhile, Raman has said she is running for mayor to fix a “broken city” under Bass. Raman has criticized Bass for leading efforts on budget-breaking contracts and projects, such as a billion-dollar agreement to raise salaries
for police officers, and a costly effort to modernize the downtown convention center.
Raman has shared plans to improve basic city services, bolster housing production, reduce the cost of living, and support the entertainment industry, among other issues. Bass is asking voters for four more years to continue progress on homelessness, housing, affordability issues, public safety, and other issues.
Her campaign has taken more aggressive tactics in an attempt to dissuade voters from electing Raman, who Bass says is “not ready for prime time.” The two have sparred on issues such as homelessness, public safety and housing.
Both candidates are going after undecided voters as Election Day approaches. According to the Berkeley poll, Bass is receiving more support among voters who backed reality television star Spencer Pratt, compared to Raman, who is more progressive and received support from the Democratic Socialists of America local chapter in L.A. In the June election, Raman had overtaken Pratt and moved on to challenge Bass in November.
On the other hand, Raman has more support from younger voters, while Bass has more backing from older residents. The two have been competing over Black and Latino voters, and support from the regular Democratic-leaning base.
