Los Angeles Mayoral Election

Incumbent Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman head into the November 3 runoff in a tight contest shaped by voter priorities on homelessness, public safety, housing affordability, and preparations for the 2028 Olympics. A late-October UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll showed the candidates tied at 40% among likely voters, with 19% undecided, after Raman held an 11-point lead in September. Bass gained ground by capturing support from voters who backed eliminated primary candidate Spencer Pratt, while consolidating backing among Black voters and narrowing deficits among Latinos. Both candidates, who advanced from the June primary where Bass led narrowly, have traded attacks on experience versus the need for change. Trader consensus reflected in current market pricing favors Bass slightly amid these dynamics and the large undecided share.