Who will be LA mayor? Race 'could shift dramatically,' poll says
Paris BarrazaJust over half of Los Angelenos are undecided in the city’s mayoral race, one that “could shift dramatically” less than three months out from when voters cast their ballots.
Whoever takes the seat will be at the helm of ongoing city challenges that frequently are scrutinized nationally, from rebuilding after the Palisades Fire in January 2025 to addressing homelessness. But they’ll also serve amid major events coming to the city, including the Super Bowl in 2027 and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
An Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey found that 51% of voters are undecided in the Los Angeles mayoral election, with only two candidates earning support in the double-digits: incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt.
The survey was conducted March 7-9. It came after a key filing deadline for candidates to get their name on the ballot in June, and after Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly gave his support for Bass’ reelection despite conflicting positions on items related to homelessness and housing.
See how Spencer Pratt, Nithya Raman, Adam Miller and Rae Huang poll
There are 14 candidates running for Los Angeles mayor, but only a handful were named in the survey. Here’s how they performed:
- Karen Bass: 19.5%
- Spencer Pratt: 10.2%
- Nithya Raman: 9.3%
- Adam Miller: 4.2%
- Rae Huang: 2.9%
- Undecided: 50.9%
- Someone else: 3%
“Democrats are split between Mayor Bass and Nithya Raman; 27% support Bass and 14% Raman, while 29% of Republican voters support Spencer Pratt,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in the survey’s release on March 11. “Independents are largely undecided at 67%, along with 49% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans, indicating this race could shift dramatically come June.”
Pratt, who lost the home he shared with wife Heidi Montag in the Palisades Fire, has slammed Bass over her handling of the fire and described himself as her “worst nightmare.” Earlier this year, Pratt said that while he registered as a Republican in 2020, “this is a non-partisan race” and that he won’t serve either party.
Raman, a Los Angeles City councilmember who represents the 4th District, joined the mayoral race just before a key filing deadline on Feb. 7. She won her councilmember seat over an incumbent in 2020, then endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. She described her decision to run for mayor as “unexpected” but “necessary.” Raman said she’s had a “growing sense” that Los Angeles is “falling behind,” a sentiment that “sharpened” after the fires.
Also in the running is Democrat Adam Miller, a cofounder of Cornerstone OnDemand, a company that his campaign website described as beginning as an idea to expand access to education through tech. He outlined several priorities in his campaign, including addressing homelessness, increasing housing in the city to bring down the cost of rent, and creating more transparency between the city and residents.
Rae Huang, a minister and community organizer, is a campaigning on keeping Los Angelenos housed, increasing wages and improving bus transit. She’s also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Los Angeles chapter, the Los Angeles Times reported in November 2025.
See Karen Bass approval ratings 2026
About 47% disapprove of Bass’ job as mayor compared to approximately 24% who approve of her, according to the survey. About 28% selected neutral or no opinion in the survey.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].