LA Mayor's Race: Controversial New Poll Puts Bass Behind Raman

LOS ANGELES, CA — The battle over Los Angeles' next mayoral race took an unexpected turn after a new poll revealed Mayor Karen Bass' Democratic challenger Nithya Raman was 16 points ahead of the incumbent — though experts warn the poll may not show the full picture.

Loyola Marymount University Center for the Study of Los Angeles conducted the poll which shows City Councilmember Raman leading Bass in the 2026 mayor's race with 32.5 percent, and Bass with 17 percent among likely voters. LMU's poll, which was released on Monday, found that nearly 9 percent of respondents were undecided.

However, experts have raised flags over the poll's methodology because it may not be fully accurate. The poll's director Fernando Guerra believes Bass is still in the lead.

"This poll shows if only positive descriptors are used and context is provided, Raman is ahead," Guerra said.

• Read more: 14 Candidates In The Running For Los Angeles Mayor

Most polls have shown Bass in first place, including an Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics poll which had her at 20 percent and Raman at just over 9 percent. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll showed Bass with 25 percent and Raman with 17 percent.

Between Feb. 11 and March 16, Loyola Marymount polled 370 registered Los Angeles voters on multiple candidates for Los Angeles mayor, including activist Rae Huang, tech executive Adam Miller, and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt. The Loyola Marymount poll differed from recent polls because it offered brief descriptions of the candidates, which may had an impact on the results.

Raman, who is a self-described progressive, has been frequently compared to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She currently represents District 4, which includes parts of Los Angeles and the Valley with more than 260,000 constituents.

Raman's campaign took to X on Tuesday, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to celebrate her standing in the LMU poll.

"Angelenos are ready for a city that actually works," Raman tweeted.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bass' campaign spokesperson pushed back at the new poll results, pointing to a 2022 poll conducted by LMU which showed Bass having 16 percent support for Los Angeles Mayor.

"The only thing more ridiculous than this poll is Spencer Pratt's performance on The Hills," said Alex Stack, a spokesperson for Bass told the Los Angeles Times.

The primary election for Los Angeles mayor will take place on June 2.

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