Incumbent Karen Bass and Nithya Raman are running in the nonpartisan general election for mayor of Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 3, 2026. In the June 2 primary, neither received more than the 50% of the vote required to win the election outright. Bass is the first incumbent to face a runoff since 2005.
Of the 14 candidates who ran in the primary election, Bass, Spencer Pratt, and Raman led in polling and media attention. Though the race was nonpartisan, Bass and Raman are Democrats, and Pratt is a Republican. Bass received 34% of the vote, followed by Raman with 29% and Pratt with 26%.
In a race where both candidates are Democrats and aligned on most issues, generational and intraparty divisions, as well as attacks on each other's records, are expected to play a role. The New York Times' Shawn Hubler writes, "The race between Ms. Raman [44] and Ms. Bass, 72, sets up a generational contest between the center-left Democratic establishment that has shaped the city for years, and the young, restive progressives who have charged that baby boomers’ housing policies have systematically priced them out of Los Angeles." Raman, a city councilor, received support from the Democratic Socialists of America in previous elections. The Los Angeles Times' Steve Lopez writes, "Raman is to the left of Bass and the traditional left in Los Angeles. ... Raman’s candidacy — along with DSA candidates for other city offices — makes the election something of a referendum on the evolving center of political clout in L.A."
