Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman will face Los Angeles voters Tuesday, Nov. 3, in a race that the latest polling shows is too close to call.

Election results are pending. This article will be updated as election officials release vote totals.

A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, released Oct. 28, found the two Democrats tied at 40% among likely voters, with 19% undecided. The survey of 2,197 likely city voters, conducted Oct. 19 through Oct. 25, carried a margin of error of about three percentage points.

That marks a sharp reversal from September, when Raman held an 11-point lead.

What's at stake

The winner will govern the nation's second-largest city through the 2028 Summer Olympics, manage an ongoing homelessness crisis and oversee wildfire recovery from the January 2025 Palisades fire.

Bass, 73, a former congresswoman and California Assembly speaker, became L.A.'s first female mayor in 2022, according to the Daily News. She entered office promising urgent action on homelessness and points to an 11% decrease in street homelessness during her tenure. But the city's overall homeless population rose 3.4% in 2026, and its unsheltered population climbed 7.9%, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

Bass was on a diplomatic trip to Ghana when the Palisades fire erupted and has repeatedly apologized for being out of the country. A state-commissioned investigation released in October found gaps in the Los Angeles Fire Department's preparation and response.

Raman, 45, is an urban planner and former nonprofit executive who won a City Council seat in 2020, becoming the first candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America elected to the council, according to the Daily News. She has framed the race as a referendum on Bass' record.

Where they differ

On housing, Bass points to Executive Directive 1, which accelerated approvals for affordable developments. Her administration says more than 10,000 affordable units have been built citywide since she took office. Raman says construction remains too slow and has proposed putting housing permits on a "shot clock" to cut approval delays.

On policing, Bass has backed LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, warning that replacing him before the Olympics could destabilize the department. Raman has called for a change in LAPD leadership, arguing McDonnell's handling of federal immigration enforcement has damaged trust in immigrant communities. She has not committed to a timeline for replacing him.

On the Olympics, Bass says she is focused on the Games as a source of lasting benefits. Raman initially opposed hosting the Games and says she would appoint a financial executive to oversee Olympic costs, according to LA Mag.

Money and endorsements

Bass has secured endorsements from Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and 13 of 15 City Council members. The Los Angeles Police Protective League and Airbnb have spent heavily in her favor, according to the Daily News.

Raman is backed by City Controller Kenneth Mejia, County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, UNITE HERE Local 11 and the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters. An independent expenditure committee tied to the carpenters union raised more than $10 million to support her, including $6 million from Reno-based hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick.

Outside groups had spent more than $22 million on the runoff as of late October, according to the Westside Current.

How to vote and track results

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at all 646 vote centers across Los Angeles County, according to NBC Los Angeles. Voters can cast ballots at any center in the county. Drop boxes accept ballots until 8 p.m. Vote center locations are listed at locator.lavote.gov.

County election officials will release initial results after polls close Tuesday night. The official canvass begins Nov. 4, with results scheduled to be certified Nov. 27.