Los Angeles voters decide Tuesday whether to give Mayor Karen Bass four more years or replace her with progressive City Councilmember Nithya Raman, capping a closely watched campaign centered on homelessness, public safety, housing and the city’s direction.
Polls close at 8 p.m., but Tuesday night may not bring a winner as Los Angeles County continues counting mail and other ballots after Election Day.
Bass received about 34% of the vote, followed by Raman (29%) in the June 2 primary election. A Bass defeat would mark the first incumbent Los Angeles mayor defeat since 2005, when James Hahn lost to Antonio Villaraigosa, who set his sights on California governor earlier this year.
Polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Other races in Los Angeles
include city attorney and measures that, if passed, would increase funding for the fire department and recreation and parks.
Bass vs. Raman: How the race for LA mayor played out
The Bass vs. Raman matchup emerged in February, when the city councilmember joined the race just before a key deadline to run for mayor. A month prior, former reality TV star Spencer Pratt announced his candidacy. A vocal critic of Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pratt built a sizable following and, by the end of his run, attracted the attention of President Donald Trump.
Other possible contenders also made their decisions during this time. Billionaire businessman Rick Caruso, defeated by Bass in 2022, decided not to pursue elected office; former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner withdrew from the race after his daughter's death; and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said she wouldn’t run.
Enter Raman, who ousted an incumbent in her successful bid for city council in 2020.
Bass, elected mayor of the sprawling city in 2022, has a long career as a public official, previously serving in the California State Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Early in her tenure as mayor, Bass signed an executive directive on affordable housing and temporary housing. She also launched her Inside Safe program, intended to move people off the streets and from encampments into housing — although it’s effectiveness is something Raman has repeatedly scrutinized, and it comes as the estimated number of people who are homeless in Los Angeles increased by 3.4% after two years of declines, according to the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.
Throughout her campaign, Bass found herself having to rehash the city’s response to the deadly Palisades Fire, and apologize for being out of the country when the fire broke out. Meanwhile, Raman has faced questions about her ties to the Democratic Socialists of America — the Los Angeles chapter, which called her a member, began backing her candidacy in September, although she and DSA-LA haven’t always been on the same side.
While Bass and Raman agree on some issues—cutting red tape to expedite housing construction and continuing crisis-response programs that don’t require police response—they’ve also sparred over budget decisions and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Raman has previously criticized Chief Jim McDonnell, arguing that the LAPD under his leadership appeared to prioritize protecting ICE over local residents, and said she plans on working “toward” his removal. Bass said her opponent has no idea “what it takes to identify a police chief” and pointed to the upcoming 2028 LA Olympics, a “major national security event.”
But as Raman recently posed to Angelenos, quoting President Ronald Reagan: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?
When asked about the lack of endorsements Raman has received from her colleagues — a fact that’s been slung at her in the race — the progressive candidate has said many of her fellow councilmembers endorsed Bass before her eleventh-hour entrance.
Raman, for her part, has earned endorsements from progressive organizations; unions such as Unite Here Local 11 and the Writers Guild of America West; and City Controller Kenneth Mejia and Supervisor Horvath. During the primary, Bass earned endorsements from Newsom and many other elected officials. Major unions have also backed Bass, as have several celebrities, like Jane Fonda and Samuel L. Jackson.
What time do polls close today?
Polls close at 8 p.m.
Election results timing: Who won LA mayor?
Votes cast before Election Day make up the first and second batches of results after polls close, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Ballot processing will continue in the days after Election Day, with updates twice a day Nov. 4-6, then once a day from Nov. 7 onward.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk is scheduled to certify election results on Nov. 27.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA mayor results: Karen Bass, Nithya Raman election night updates
