Spencer Pratt, Karen Bass, and Nithya Raman in Tight Race for L.A. Mayor

In the latest UC Berkeley-L.A. Times poll, Los Angeles mayoral candidates Karen Bass, Nithya Raman, and Spencer Pratt are locked in a tight race, with Bass at 26%, Raman at 25%, and Pratt at 22%.

With no candidate likely to secure the 50% needed to win outright, a top-two runoff appears inevitable. The election is set for Tuesday.

Columnist Steve Lopez, who previously offered to mentor Pratt on the realities of city governance, received a flood of angry emails from Pratt supporters after his critical column. One reader called Lopez a "left-wing idiot," while another suggested he "drop dead." Lopez noted that despite the vitriol, Pratt has tapped into genuine frustration over homelessness, the Palisades fire, and budget issues.

Five key points emerge from the race:

1. **Which candidate knows the city best?** Los Angeles spans 470 square miles with 114 neighborhoods and 220 languages.

Bass, who raised a blended Black and Latino family, knows the city best from her four years as mayor, but her unfavorability rating is high. Raman is strong on homelessness policy but criticized for lack of constituent engagement.

Pratt, an outsider with Republican ties, may struggle to connect across the city.

2. **Other candidates:** Minister Rae Huang (9%) and businessman Adam Miller (5%) could be spoilers. Huang advocates for housing as a human right, while Miller brings business experience and nonprofit work.

3. **Are Democrats to blame?** While Democrats dominate local politics, Lopez argues that failures in housing, poverty, and healthcare span decades and cross party lines, noting similar issues in conservative cities like Fresno and Bakersfield.

4. **Has Lopez given up on L.A.?** He insists he cares deeply, holding leaders accountable and scrutinizing "posers and pretenders."

5. **Advice for the next mayor:** Fix what's broken, celebrate what works, and take responsibility.

Lopez again extended an invitation to Pratt for a conversation, asking if God—whom Pratt claims told him to run—had advice on potholes or the 2028 Olympics.