LA Mayoral Race: Young Voter Support Splits

Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman is pursuing Mayor Karen Bass with a campaign strategy aimed squarely at the city's younger residents. Raman, 45, has released social media content designed to resonate with voters under 40, including a skit parodying the film Mean Girls. In the clip, a character in flannel compares her nonconformist attitude to Raman's opposition to police officer pay raises. The video has been viewed more than 200,000 times online. Another ad showing a couple benefiting from improved public transit has reached 400,000 viewers.

The Berkeley IGS and Los Angeles Times poll shows Raman holding a substantial advantage in these demographics. Among likely voters ages 18 to 29, Raman leads Bass 69% to 15%. The margin widens among voters ages 30 to 39, where Raman commands 74% support against Bass's 16%. Raman's platform emphasizes affordable housing and renter protections, issues that rank as top priorities for younger voters in previous surveys. In the June 2 primary, Raman outperformed Bass in neighborhoods where at least 80% of households rent, securing 37% of the vote to Bass's 28%.

Bass, 73, is contesting the narrative that she is out of touch with young people. At a campaign event in Panorama City last week, she cited her history as a young organizer. "I was them," Bass said. "I’m not somebody that believes that I go around lecturing young people to tell them the ways to do things." Her campaign has launched Youth 4 Bass, a group of approximately 240 members led by 22-year-old staffer Sabahat Nabiha. Nabiha, a UC Davis graduate, promotes the mayor's candidacy on college campuses and through social media content.

Endorsements from young voter groups are split. Juan Solorio Jr., 35, president of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, said Bass's background resonates with his group, which endorsed her. However, Bailey Swain, 25, president of the Black L.A. Young Democrats, said her group endorsed Raman. The group, which has about 500 members, cited Raman's frankness on housing policy and her plan to change zoning laws to expand affordable units. Swain noted that Raman identified existing policies as racist during their board interview.

Despite the polling numbers, turnout among younger voters has lagged behind older cohorts. As of Wednesday, 13% of eligible voters between ages 18 and 34 had submitted ballots, compared with 47% of those over 65, according to Political Data Intelligence. Laura Wray-Lake, a social welfare professor at UCLA, stated that young voters respond to competitive races and clear issue positions. Raman's spokesperson, Liz Garcia, said the campaign works with content creators to introduce Raman to new audiences, arguing that voters are seeking a change from establishment politics.

City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, 36, who won reelection this spring, observed that young voters are disillusioned rather than apathetic. She said her team found success by discussing specific solutions rather than broad party values. "They don’t want to hear the same regurgitated language," Hernandez said. "What we have seen success in is going directly to young people, talking about the real issues."