Los Angeles voters choose between Bass and Raman in Tuesday runoff

Los Angeles voters face a binary choice on Tuesday: continue with Mayor Karen Bass or turn to City Councilmember Nithya Raman. The decision concludes a nine month contest defined by sharp attacks between two former political allies who now occupy opposite ends of the local Democratic spectrum.

The race has tightened into a statistical tie. A Berkeley IGS and Los Angeles Times poll released recently shows the candidates in a dead heat, with one fifth of surveyed residents remaining undecided. Dan Schnur, a political communications professor at USC and UC Berkeley, described the dilemma for swing voters as a choice between an unsatisfying status quo and a risky bet on an unknown figure.

Raman, 45, has positioned herself as the voice of a younger generation seeking change. She attacks Bass, 73, for mismanaging the city's finances and infrastructure. At a news conference Thursday near the unfinished SkyLink people mover at Los Angeles International Airport, Raman criticized the project for being years behind schedule and $1.4 billion over budget. She accused Bass's administration of delivering less value for higher costs, citing poor management and broken promises.

Bass counters by questioning Raman's consistency and reliability. The mayor noted that all 14 of her City Council colleagues, across the political divide, support her candidacy. Bass argued that Raman frequently shifts her stance on key issues, including police hiring and the city's mansion tax. Bass also highlighted her four year record of handling constituent complaints in Raman's Hollywood Hills district, a task she said she undertook to assist her colleague.

The outcome will shape the city's handling of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. The host city is liable for the first $270 million in financial losses if the event runs over budget. The next mayor will also lead negotiations with city employee unions. These contracts will determine the remaining funds available for basic services in a city where homelessness numbers have risen after two years of decline.

The path to this runoff began with Bass's launch of her reelection bid in July 2024. She credited her Inside Safe initiative for moving homeless residents from encampments to hotels and permanent housing. Raman initially sought and received Bass's endorsement during her own 2024 reelection bid. She narrowly avoided a runoff after Bass appeared in her campaign materials. Raman later endorsed Bass in January before launching her own mayoral campaign in February.

Bass's standing with voters declined following the Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and killed 12 people. She left town to attend a diplomatic event in Ghana during high wind warnings, a decision she later called the worst of her tenure. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley publicly criticized city leaders over budget cuts to the Fire Department while the blaze burned. Bass also faced a $1 billion budget shortfall, partly triggered by generous raises for police and fire workers, which led to the elimination of more than 1,500 city jobs.

Outside money has flooded into the final weeks of the campaign. The Los Angeles Police Protective League spent approximately $6 million against Raman. Raman's allies raised $8 million through hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick and $3.8 million from the carpenters union. The Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Raman in a 937 to 484 vote, providing organizational support. Bass received $2 million in backing from the Central City Assn., with funding linked to Airbnb's interest in loosening short term rental restrictions.

Fernando Guerra of Loyola Marymount University framed the contest as a symbolic battle between the establishment and the new wave of Democrats. He noted that voters are deciding whether to support the past or the future. The mayor's office will begin talks with the police union in January, a negotiation that will test the new administration's fiscal strategy.

The primary election in June produced a crowded field, including former superintendent Austin Beutner and reality television star Spencer Pratt. Pratt secured about a fourth of the vote but failed to advance. Raman shifted some positions toward the center during the primary, moving away from her initial opposition to police hiring and encampment bans. The runoff now forces a direct comparison of these two candidates without the noise of the larger field.