Los Angeles Mayor Bass faces a close race from Democratic socialist challenger Nithya Raman
The Guardian reports a poll shows Bass moving from an 11-point deficit to a dead heat, as housing costs weigh on voters.
Los Angeles is in a close race for mayor between incumbent Karen Bass, 73, and challenger Nithya Raman, 45. Raman is a Democratic socialist and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, according to the Guardian. The group is considering rescinding its endorsement because she refused to explicitly embrace the movement against Israel known as Boycott, Divestment and .
A poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the LA Times, released on Wednesday, shows Bass moving from an 11-point deficit to a dead heat, the Guardian reports. Affordability weighs on voters. The California Association of Realtors reported that in the third quarter of 2026 just 15% of city households could afford a median-priced home.
An April poll by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute found 87% of city voters call housing affordability a serious problem. The New York Times says a split between younger voters who want affordability and older ones who want stability may be the biggest factor. The Journal reports mounting frustration over quality of life.
Bass is the only one left of the four Black mayors who led New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston at the end of 2022, the Guardian reports.
- 15% of Los Angeles households able to afford a median-priced home in the third quarter of 2026, per the California Association of Realtors — The Guardian (US)
- 87% of city voters calling housing affordability a serious problem, in an April Los Angeles Business Council Institute poll — The Guardian (US)
- 63% of city voters who have considered leaving because of housing affordability, same April poll — The Guardian (US)
- 11 points Bass's earlier deficit, which a UC Berkeley and LA Times poll shows has turned into a dead heat — The Guardian (US)
Three sides of the story
Liberal3 outlets
Bass under pressure and a generational divide
The Guardian follows an "embattled" Bass through three days of campaigning and says her campaign is digging in to survive. Bass says the country's mood toward Black people swings, telling the paper "we go out of popularity very quickly."
The piece points to a UC Berkeley and LA Times poll showing her moving from an 11-point deficit to a dead heat, and to housing data showing 15% of city households can afford a median-priced home. It quotes Melina Abdullah, co-founder of both Los Angeles Black Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, who says Bass's four years in office have not brought collective advancement "for Black people or any marginalized group." It also reports that the Democratic Socialists of America are considering rescinding their endorsement of Raman.
The New York Times reports that a stark generational divide may determine the mayor's race. It says young voters want affordability while older ones want stability, and gives Bass's age as 73 and Raman's as 45.
Center2 outlets
A close race and a possible DSA mayor
The Wall Street Journal's headline sets the race beside New York, naming Mamdani, and says Los Angeles "Decides if It Wants a DSA Mayor, Too." The Journal reports that Raman, a Democratic socialist, is in a close race with incumbent Bass while frustration over quality of life mounts.
- The Wall Street Journal (news): After Mamdani in New York, Los Angeles Decides if It Wants a DSA Mayor, Too
Conservative3 outlets
Outlets on this side gave the story little coverage.
Which side made the stronger case?
For Los Angeles residents, housing costs are the pressure point. The California Association of Realtors reported that in the third quarter of 2026 just 15% of city households could afford to buy a median-priced home, according to the Guardian. An April poll by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute found 63% of city voters had considered leaving the city because of housing affordability.
All sources: 14 articles from 8 outlets
Liberal (3)
- ABC News: After rough first term, LA Mayor Karen Bass fights for job against DSA-backed Nithya Raman
- The Guardian (US): An embattled Karen Bass is fighting tooth and nail to keep her mayorship in LA. It might be too late
Center (2)
- The Seattle Times: After rough first term, LA Mayor Karen Bass fights for job against DSA-backed Nithya Raman
- The Wall Street Journal (news): After Mamdani in New York, Los Angeles Decides if It Wants a DSA Mayor, Too
Conservative (9)
- Just the News: Mayoral race in Los Angeles down to the wire as candidates clash over crises, leadership
- New York Post: Karen Bass takes Election Day swipe at Nithya Raman with embarrassing blooper reel
- New York Post: Cringeworthy moment Xavier Becerra refuses to endorse LA mayor Karen Bass as she stands right next to him
- New York Post: Bass and Raman make final pitches as voters prepare to decide city’s future
- New York Post: Single vote spares Nithya Raman from DSA revolt before LA mayoral election
- New York Post: Karen Bass, Xavier Becerra make final LA campaign push as Raman staffer racism controversy erupts
- New York Post: Karen Bass gives apocalyptic vision of LA if Nithya Raman wins election: ‘Chaos from day one’
- New York Post: Shrieking Nithya Raman seizes mic at chaotic Halloween party — as her bizarre costume is explained
- The Center Square: Los Angeles mayoral candidates clash over crises, leadership
The morning edition by email
One email a day: the three main stories, each with its three sides. No ads. Unsubscribe with one tap.
A Telegram channel is coming soon.