Four hours after polls closed in Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass held a narrow lead over challenger Nithya Raman, with the candidates separated by about 4,000 votes. Around 600,000 votes had been counted by midnight, while approximately 580,000 were still outstanding.
The early margin offers little indication of the final result. Ballot counting can take time, and mail-in ballots postmarked on Election Day may still be counted over the following week, meaning a winner may not be known soon.
Bass and Raman are both Democrats, though Raman is further to the left. Both have also pledged support for Los Angeles’s film industry. The campaign has been marked by months of clashes between the candidates and efforts to rally supporters.
The close count follows earlier tight contests for both candidates. Raman initially trailed Spencer Pratt in last June’s primary for the second spot behind Bass, then moved ahead a week later. Bass’s 2022 mayoral race against Rick Caruso was also close at first; she ultimately won by nearly 10 points after the count took three weeks.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter.