Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass holds a 12-point lead over mayoral challenger Nithya Raman among Latino voters, according to a new poll that conflicts with another recent survey showing Raman far ahead among the same electorate.
The poll, released Friday by BSP Research on behalf of Unidos Con Karen Bass—an independent expenditure group supporting the mayor—found Bass with 40% support among Latino voters, compared with 28% for Raman. Another 32% remained undecided.
Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, who has endorsed Bass, said the findings indicate “real momentum heading into the final weeks of the campaign.”
Bass’s advantage was especially pronounced among Spanish-speaking Latino voters, where she led Raman by 32 percentage points. Among Angelenos ages 50 and older, Bass received 53% support, compared with 17% for Raman.
Voters younger than 40 were evenly divided, with each candidate receiving 35% support from that age group.
Bass drew her strongest Latino support in downtown Los Angeles, South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, according to the survey. Raman led among Latino voters in West Los Angeles, while East Los Angeles remained the most unsettled area, with 44% undecided.
BSP Research conducted the survey from Oct. 1 through Oct. 8 among 602 Latino voters.
Latinos are Los Angeles’ largest ethnic group and are expected to account for nearly 30% of all
ballots.
The results sharply diverge from a bombshell Oct. 2 poll that showed Raman holding a 24-point lead over Bass among Latino voters.
The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll, conducted Sept. 15–20 and released Oct. 2, found Raman leading Bass by 45% to 21%.
That Berkeley survey identified a similar age divide, showing Bass performing strongly among older Latino voters while Raman potentially held an advantage with younger voters.
The contest has grown more heated since the Berkeley poll was conducted. The candidates have clashed over policing, immigration enforcement and Raman’s judgment after she appeared in a since-deleted social media video containing the words “Only you can stop fascist liars.”
The dispute escalated Thursday, when Bass called Raman “incredibly irresponsible” and questioned whether her Democratic socialist challenger was prepared to lead Los Angeles.
The California Post contacted Matt Barreto, who leads BSP Research, for comment.
