Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman are now in a statistical tie in the race for the city’s top elected office, according to new poll numbers released Wednesday. The latest Los Angeles Times/Berkeley IGS poll shows both mayoral candidates with 40% support among likely voters. This marks a significant shift from one month ago, when the same poll reportedly had Councilwoman Raman ahead by 11 percentage points, according to a statement from Mayor Bass's campaign.
The release of these poll results coincides with recent announcements of support for both candidates from important local figures.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath publicly endorsed Councilwoman Raman. Supervisor Horvath, who represents areas including Pacific Palisades and Malibu, had previously been considered an ally of Mayor Bass. Their political alignment shifted following the January 2025 Palisades Fire, an event after which Supervisor Horvath expressed criticism of Mayor Bass regarding her handling of communications and other related issues.
A day earlier, real estate developer Rick Caruso, who was defeated by Mayor Bass in the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election, announced his intention to vote for Mayor Bass in the upcoming election next week. Caruso clarified that he was not issuing an endorsement, but rather sharing his personal voting preference. He stated that he believes Mayor Bass is learning from past mistakes and has observed her growth in the mayoral role.
Caruso also voiced "extreme concern" about a potential plan attributed to Councilwoman Raman to remove Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell. In response to Caruso’s announcement, Mayor Bass issued a statement to a local news report, expressing that she was honored by his support and looked forward to collaborating with him over the next four years to address the city's major challenges.
Councilwoman Raman has previously spoken about her views on Chief McDonnell. During a televised mayoral debate, she made remarks indicating she would replace Chief McDonnell, noting that he "has not met the moment" regarding federal immigration operations within Los Angeles.
A local news report confirmed that Councilwoman Raman’s campaign was contacted for comment regarding the latest poll numbers.