Raman Holds 51% Lead Over Bass as LA Mayor Vote Count Continues

Nithya Raman led the race for Los Angeles mayor by 16,594 votes as of Wednesday, according to the latest figures from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office. The councilwoman had accumulated 377,458 votes, representing 51.12% of the total. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass trailed with 360,864 votes, or 48.88%.

The margin of victory remains narrow, with the difference between the two candidates standing at 2.24 percentage points. Ballot counting is expected to continue through the week and into the following weeks. This timeline suggests the winner of the election may remain unknown well into November.

Analysts have pointed to voting patterns that favor Raman in the late stages of the count. Younger voters, who form a core part of her support base, tend to cast ballots closer to Election Day. This demographic shift could explain why Raman gained ground after Bass held a slight lead on Tuesday.

Karen Bass addressed her supporters in Hollywood on Tuesday night. She highlighted Democratic gains across the country and framed her tenure as a period of resilience. Bass stated that she has carried the responsibility of serving the city that raised her and where her parents built a life with her every day.

She cited specific achievements, including recovery efforts following last year’s wildfires, opposition to federal immigration raids, and initiatives to reduce homelessness. Bass told the crowd that she has seen communities stand up for one another and refuse to give up on the city, even when challenges seemed overwhelming.

At her election night party in Griffith Park, Raman maintained a hopeful tone while waiting for final results. She described the electorate as angry about a broken status quo and politicians who had failed them repeatedly. Raman told her supporters that change feels good and that Los Angeles was engineered over the last few decades to resist that change.

Raman criticized City Hall for becoming accustomed to saying no and forgetting how to say yes. She thanked her supporters for choosing hope over hopelessness, describing Los Angeles as a city built on dreams and ambition. The councilwoman noted that the city is the most incredible place in the world.

A poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and released the previous week, showed both candidates tied at 40% support among likely voters. The same survey indicated that 19% of voters remained undecided. This result marked a shift from a September poll by the same institute, which had Raman ahead by 11 percentage points.

The campaign saw heightened tension in recent weeks. Bass and independent political action committees attacked Raman over public safety issues, specifically her call to remove LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. Critics portrayed Raman as inexperienced for leading the second-largest city in the nation.

Raman faced scrutiny in early October after sharing a video featuring a leftist influencer. In the clip, she urged people to stop fascist liars, followed by images of Bass and McDonnell. During a televised debate, Bass pressed Raman on the video. Raman later apologized for related comments regarding former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates, whom she had described as setting a gold standard for the department.

Gates oversaw the LAPD during the beating and arrest of Rodney King on March 3, 1991. Rioting erupted in the city on April 29, 1992, following the acquittal of four officers. Gates left the force on June 28, 1992, after announcing his intention to resign in July 1991.

Raman defended her remarks by pointing to Special Order 40, a directive implemented during Gates’ tenure. The order mandates noncooperation with immigration enforcement and prohibits officers from stopping residents based on immigration status. Raman has framed her candidacy as a mission to fix a broken city, criticizing Bass for pursuing costly projects like a billion-dollar police salary agreement and a downtown convention center modernization effort.