Full Breakdown
Raman Takes Lead Over Bass in Latest Los Angeles Mayoral Poll
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A new poll conducted online with 2,150 likely voters between Sept. 15 and Sept. 20 shows City Councilmember Nithya Raman ahead of incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race. Raman captured 39% support versus 28% for Bass, while 33% of respondents remain undecided. The poll, a joint effort by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) and the Los Angeles Times, carries a margin of error of roughly three points.
Background & Context
Raman trailed Bass in every pre-primary poll and finished second in the June 2 primary, where former reality-TV star Spencer Pratt was eliminated. The large pool of undecided voters is linked, according to poll director Mark DiCamillo, to Pratt’s former supporters. Since the primary, Bass has faced criticism over rising homelessness and the aftermath of the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, while Raman has secured endorsements from the carpenters’ union, Unite Here Local 11, and the Democratic Socialists of America.
Data & Statistics
- Support: Raman 39 % | Bass 28 % (poll)
- Undecided: 33 % of likely voters
- Favorability: Bass 28 % favorable, 63 % unfavorable; Raman 40 % favorable, 39 % unfavorable
- Generational split: Among voters 18-29, Raman 66 % vs. Bass 4 %; ages 30-39, Raman 64 % vs. Bass 12 %; ages 40-49, Raman 50 % vs. Bass 18 %; ages 50-64, Raman 35 % vs. Bass 33 %; ages 65+, Bass 41 % vs. Raman 21 %
- Geography: Raman leads in central, northeast, east side, and the San Fernando Valley; Bass leads in South Los Angeles and the Harbor region.
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Bass emphasized the fluid nature of the race, noting that polls are snapshots and urging voters to review her campaign platform. Raman responded that her message about the city “being on the wrong track” is resonating, and she called on undecided Angelenos to engage with her campaign.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Raman clearly has the advantage. Her task is a little less onerous than Bass’,” — Mark DiCamillo, the director of the Berkeley IGS Poll
- “I've seen a lot of polls, and one thing that we knew about all of the polls that we have seen is that this is going to be a tight race,” — Karen Bass, mayor
- “We are taking nothing, not a single vote, for granted. So to every Angeleno who is still deciding, my ask is simple: Take a look at our campaign, and give me the opportunity to earn your vote. Read our plans. Come and meet me at an event. You may find that we have more in common than you expect,” — Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman
The poll’s findings arrive weeks before mail-in ballots are mailed out in early October, keeping the contest wide open as both campaigns intensify outreach to the sizable undecided electorate.
