Your last-minute guide to the L.A. mayor’s race: Bass vs. Raman
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Here is a last-minute guide to the race for Los Angeles mayor, which pits incumbent Karen Bass against Councilmember Nithya Raman.
The candidates
- Bass, 73, is a veteran lawmaker who served in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., before coming to City Hall. She’s drawn support from more traditional corners of the city’s political establishment, including Los Angeles County’s Democratic Party and its Federation of Labor, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers.
- Raman, 45, arrived in L.A. in 2013 and launched a City Council bid six years later. She’s been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America and other groups that are newer to city politics, including Streets for All, which seeks to expand the city’s bus and bike lane network.
Mayor Karen Bass faces a fierce reelection challenge from Councilmember Nithya Raman, setting up a generational contest between two Democrats with sharply different political coalitions.
In their own words
Here are Q&As with each of the candidates.
In an interview with The Times, Mayor Karen Bass talked about her response to the Palisades fire, police hiring, her management style at City Hall and her biggest mistake as mayor.
In an interview with The Times, Councilmember Nithya Raman addressed topics including homelessness, how her stance on the LAPD has changed over time, and her biggest mistake on the council.
State of the race
Bass has struggled with unfavorable ratings in the wake of the 2025 firestorm. Homelessness, the Boyle Heights warehouse fire and other issues have made her vulnerable. But she holds a fundraising lead.
Raman says she‘s a candidate of change. But some of her positions and her connection to the Democratic Socialists of America have raised eyebrows, and key allies are backing Bass.
The latest Los Angeles Times/UC Berkeley poll showed the race in a dead heat.
Although Bass brought in more money, Raman had a larger amount socked away for the final push ahead of the Nov. 3 election, according to reports filed this week.
Issues
Housing
Bass points to fast-tracked affordable housing, while Raman has championed strong tenant protections. YIMBY groups back Raman; construction and trade groups favor Bass.
Karen Bass and Nithya Raman both have plans to help L.A.’s housing crisis. Will either make living here more affordable?
Policing
Bass has publicly backed LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, saying the Police Department could be thrown into disarray if he is removed before the 2028 Olympic Games. Raman has called for a change in LAPD leadership without giving a clear timeline of when she would replace McDonnell if she defeats Bass.
Some observers see the November election between Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman as a referendum on LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.
Mayor Karen Bass called on her opponent to apologize for her remarks about a former LAPD chief. Councilmember Nithya Raman said Bass deliberately twisted her words.
Environment
Bass has argued that L.A. remains a global leader on the environment, while Raman has said the city has lost its focus in recent years.
In a forum at L.A. Trade-Tech, the two mayoral candidates differed sharply over the city’s environmental performance under Bass’s leadership
The leading candidates have barely discussed how they would tackle the climate crisis. So we asked them.
Transportation
There are myriad public transportation challenges for the next mayor, including the long-delayed LAX people mover, new rail lines and numerous traffic challenges related to the Olympics.
The delayed automated people mover at LAX, lags in street improvements and road safety initiatives are some of the challenges that mayoral incumbent Karen Bass or challenger Nithya Raman will face next year.
Olympics
The winner will be in office when the Summer Games come to Los Angeles in 2028. There remain concerns about whether the city could be left with the bill. Raman initially opposed hosting the Games and says she will ensure they don’t cause financial problems. Bass says she is focused on the Olympics as a source of lasting benefits for the city.
Mayor Karen Bass is a big booster of the ’28 Summer Olympics in L.A.; challenger Nithya Raman? Not so much.
Homelessness
Bass made tackling homelessness a central effort in her first term. Despite some progress, the number of those who are homeless went up this year. Raman says she can do better but has faced criticism from some inside her district over how the issue has been handled.
Critics say the candidate failed to lead a homelessness committee with the urgency needed to combat L.A.’s enduring crisis. Raman claims that politics were at play.
Street homelessness — people living outdoors or in their vehicles — went down by 49% in Raman’s district compared to the previous year, she said at a press conference Friday.
L.A. mayoral candidates Bass and Raman skirmish over their support for small businesses. The San Fernando Valley is a battleground
The numbers from this year’s point-in-time homelessness count delivered a major blow to Bass, who is seeking reelection and has made the issue a central part of her agenda.
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