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Poll shows Nithya Raman leading Karen Bass in Los Angeles mayoral race

By The Likely · Updated Sep 28, 5:19 PM ET · Drawn from 10 sources · Written by AI, checked against sources

California, Los Angeles Mayor: A Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll released September 23 showed challenger Nithya Raman leading incumbent Karen Bass 39% to 28%. A third of likely voters remain undecided.

Why it mattersBass faces severe fallout over city management, with 56% of voters giving her poor marks for the Palisades Fire response.

Who will win the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election? Nithya Raman leadsToss-up57%

How we got here

  1. Fieldwork began for the Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll; it continued through 2026-09-20. Latimes
  2. A poll report showed Raman leading Bass 39% to 28%. Latimes
  3. Bass and Raman were expected to participate in back-to-back conversations at a mayoral forum. Usatoday
  4. Vote-by-mail ballots were scheduled to be mailed to registered voters, and official drop boxes were set to open. Gov
  5. Vote centers were scheduled to open and remain available through Election Day. Gov
  6. The General Municipal Election, including the mayoral race, was scheduled. Gov

What's likely next

  1. Bass and Raman are expected to take part in back-to-back conversations at the Jewish Los Angeles Mayoral Forum in West Los Angeles.
  2. Vote centers are scheduled to open in Los Angeles County and remain open through November 3.
  3. Los Angeles’ General Municipal Election is scheduled; the mayoral race is on the ballot.

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