Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Democrat Nithya Raman are projected to face off to lead the country’s second largest city this November, according to Decision Desk HQ.
With 87 percent of votes in, Bass is at 34.68 percent, and Raman is at 27.12 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ.
The June 2 results put Bass, a progressive who defeated wealthy Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso in the 2022 mayoral race, on track to win a second term. But she’s faced a tough challenge from Raman, a councilmember for LA’s District 4, amid criticism over the incumbent’s first term in office.
The pair defeated Republican reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who was at 26.69 percent of the vote, according to Decision Desk HQ, and Democratic tech entrepreneur Adam Miller, among others. A UC Berkeley-LA Times poll from late May found Bass just one point ahead of Raman, and four points ahead of Pratt.
Bass moved on to the runoff hours after polls closed June 2.
The mayor’s seat is formally nonpartisan. All candidates appeared on the same ballot and the top two vote-getters are advancing to the general election. No candidate notched more than 50 percent of the vote, which could have been enough to win the seat outright and avoid a runoff.
Bass is now set for a showdown with Raman in the blue city amid significant backlash against the incumbent mayor.
Bass’s first term was barraged with wildfires that ravaged the Golden State last year, and she was criticized for her response and an ill-timed trip abroad as the crisis started.
Last summer, she had to navigate protests over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown that prompted the president to deploy National Guard troops into Los Angeles. And she’s also been criticized over homelessness in the major city, though she’s pointed to statistics showing street homelessness down in Los Angeles by 17.5 percent.
Still, the first Black woman to serve as LA mayor has significant Democratic support, including backing from former Vice President Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
