Race for Los Angeles Mayor Deadlocks at 40 Percent

Voters in Los Angeles face a dead heat for mayor, with both top candidates polling at 40 percent in a recent survey. The Berkley IGS/L.A. Times poll released Wednesday shows incumbent Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman tied. The result leaves the outcome uncertain with only days left before the election.

Both candidates spent Friday campaigning in Raman’s own district, Encino. Residents there are split on the performance of their city councilmember. The district serves as a testing ground for the final stretch of the campaign.

Roy Nwaisser, an Encino resident who supports Bass, said the neighborhood is moving in the right direction for the first time in years. He noted that work remains on homelessness and public safety. He argued that voters cannot afford to go backwards in the city’s progress.

Jodi Francisco, another Bass supporter, expressed concern over Raman’s positions on the police and the police chief. She cited Raman’s lack of experience on these and many other issues. Francisco believes Bass is better suited to handle these complex matters.

Laure Stevens, a Raman supporter, stated that District 4 is the only part of the city seeing tangible progress. She said the rest of Los Angeles has not met the promises made four years ago. Stevens credited Raman’s leadership for the improvements seen in their area.

Amos Marvel, an Encino resident, said he feels safer under Raman’s leadership. He pointed to the installation of speed bumps around Reseda High School as evidence of her attention to detail. He said Raman’s office acted quickly after students reported near-misses with vehicles.

The candidates exchanged sharp words about who is responsible for changes in the district. Bass claimed she stepped in to help Raman’s constituents with homeless encampments and a surge in home burglaries. Raman denied that the mayor played a key role in those improvements.

Bass said she contacted Chief McDonnell to increase patrols and visibility after a surge in crime. She emphasized the need to aggressively stamp out crime when it occurs. She believes the mayor’s office must take a strong hand in public safety.

Raman focused on housing as a major point of disagreement in the race. She said she is building more housing to make the city affordable for working families. She noted that many of her fiercest critics in her own district do not support building more homes.

Bass took credit for a 49 percent reduction in homelessness in Raman’s district. She attributed this drop to Inside Safe operations. She criticized Raman for being number 14 in terms of the least amount of affordable housing built in her district. Bass called the inability to tell the truth dangerous for the city.

Raman maintains that improvements in her district stem from her own work, not the mayor’s actions. She urged voters to look at the data on homelessness and public safety in District 4. She said there is no map of encampments or tracking of beds in the mayor’s office. She stated she is ready to take on the job if Angelenos are tired of the current leadership.

The next step in the election process is the vote, which takes place in two days. Both candidates will continue to campaign in their respective districts. The outcome will determine the next mayor of Los Angeles.