Bass and Raman Battle for Latino Votes in Tight L.A. Mayor Race

With mail-in voting days away, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman are intensifying efforts to win over Latino voters, who are expected to be decisive in the Nov. 3 election. A recent UC Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll shows Raman leading Bass among likely Latino voters by a wide margin — 45% to 21%, with 34% undecided. This marks a sharp reversal from the June primary, where Bass carried 35 Latino-majority neighborhoods compared to seven for Raman Source: LA Times.

The Latino Vote

Latinos make up about a third of L.A. voters and are seen as "quintessential swing voters who decide late," according to political scientist Fernando Guerra Source: LA Times. The Bass campaign disputes the Berkeley poll's methodology, citing its own August poll showing Bass up by two points with Latinos, while a Raman campaign poll from September had the council member up by 13 points Source: LA Times. Among Latinos 50 and older, Bass leads Raman 36% to 26% Source: LA Times.

Key Issues and Disagreements

The candidates also split sharply on foreign policy. At a Jewish Federation forum, Raman said Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, citing international experts and images of civilian deaths. Bass rejected the term, saying her focus is on keeping Angelenos safe and avoiding divisiveness Source: LA Times.

• Public safety and management: Raman argues Bass is a poor manager, pointing to crises like the Palisades fire and the Lineage warehouse fire. Bass counters that Raman has little to show for her council work and lacks working relationships with colleagues Source: LA Times.
• Endorsements: Bass is backed by the county Democratic Party and labor unions; Raman by the Democratic Socialists of America and Streets For All Source: LA Times.