LA Mayoral Race Deadlocked At 40 Percent

Both major candidates for Los Angeles mayor sit at 40 percent support among likely voters, with 19 percent undecided, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released Wednesday and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. The survey shows incumbent Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman in a statistical tie heading into Tuesday's election.

The numbers mark a shift from September, when the same institute found Raman leading Bass 39 percent to 28 percent, an 11-point gap. In the June election, Raman surpassed Spencer Pratt to advance against Bass in November. The Berkeley poll shows Bass drawing more support from former Pratt voters, while Raman pulls stronger among younger voters. Bass leads among older residents. The two candidates are also competing for Black and Latino voters and the regular Democratic-leaning base.

Bass, who is seeking a second term leading the nation's second-largest city, has campaigned on continuing work she started on homelessness, housing, affordability and public safety. Her campaign has shifted to attacking Raman, including a line she used in a televised debate calling the councilwoman "not ready for prime time." Political action committees working independently of the candidates have also targeted Raman, focusing on her public safety positions and arguing she lacks experience to run a city of this size.

Raman, a former ally of Bass, is running to fix what she describes as a "broken city." She has criticized Bass for pushing costly contracts and projects, including a billion-dollar agreement raising police officer salaries and an expensive modernization of the downtown convention center. Raman has campaigned on improving basic city services, increasing housing production, lowering the cost of living and supporting the entertainment industry.

A campaign video Raman's team shared in early October drew scrutiny. It showed the councilwoman urging viewers to "stop fascist liars," followed by photos of Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. Bass pressed her about the ad during a debate. Raman also drew criticism after saying the LAPD reached a "gold standard" under former Chief Daryl Gates, who led the department when officers beat and arrested Rodney King on March 3, 1991. Raman said she was referring to Special Order 40, a directive from Gates' tenure that prohibits officers from stopping residents about immigration status. She later apologized for the comment.

Gates announced his intent to resign on July 13, 1991, but stayed until June 28, 1992, when he was replaced by Willie Williams. Four LAPD officers were acquitted on April 29, 1992, in the King beating, triggering six days of rioting that ended after the California National Guard and federal officers arrived. Bass accused Raman of not understanding the city's history and called her an outsider.

Raman has the backing of the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Bass and Raman are now competing for the 19 percent of likely voters who remain undecided.