LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Diya TV) — City Councilmember Nithya Raman overtook Mayor Karen Bass in the overnight count of Los Angeles’ mayoral race, but the contest remained too close to call Wednesday. At one point, Raman led by 16,594 votes. A later update put the candidates fewer than 4,000 votes apart, with each near 50%.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s early Wednesday tally showed Raman with 377,458 votes, or 51.1%, and Bass with 360,864, or 48.9%. That count covered about 63% of the expected vote. The lead could still change: election officials continue processing ballots after Election Day, and California accepts eligible mail ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 if they arrive within seven days.
Bass led the first results Tuesday night. Raman moved ahead as later batches came in, a shift that drew attention to the different groups of voters whose ballots may arrive at different stages. Analysts told local outlets that later-counted ballots could include more younger and liberal voters, groups Raman has courted. But the remaining ballots’ makeup remains uncertain.
The close count follows a campaign that turned a former political alliance into a direct challenge. Raman endorsed Bass before entering the race in February. Bass, mayor since 2022 and a former member of Congress, sought a second term with support from much of the city’s political establishment. Raman, first elected to the City Council in 2020, drew support from progressive groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America.
Homelessness, housing and public safety shaped the contest. Bass defended programs such as Inside Safe, which moves people from encampments into temporary housing, and pointed to her administration’s efforts to build affordable units and reduce street homelessness. Raman called the city’s response costly and ineffective. She pledged to cut street homelessness in half by summer 2028 and end it during her first term.
The candidates also differed on policing. Bass backed adding officers; Raman said she would replace Police Chief Jim McDonnell. Raman criticized the department’s handling of protests against federal immigration raids, while Bass argued that public safety requires a stronger police force.
The Palisades Fire became another test of Bass’ record. She was in Ghana on a diplomatic trip when the fire broke out in January 2025. Her absence and the city’s emergency response drew sustained criticism during the campaign. Bass defended her administration’s work on recovery, while Raman argued that Los Angeles needed more accountable leadership and stronger basic services.
At her election-night gathering near the Greek Theatre, Raman cast the race as a demand for change at City Hall. Bass, speaking to supporters in Hollywood, emphasized her commitment to working families, neighborhood safety and rebuilding after the fires.
The county will release additional vote totals as it verifies and counts ballots. Officials expect the canvass to continue through November, so neither the overnight lead nor the brief narrowing of the margin determines who will become mayor.
