Raman Projected to Defeat Bass in Los Angeles Mayor Race

Decision Desk HQ projected Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman to defeat incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the city’s mayoral race on Wednesday, November 4. The projection came as late-counted ballots shifted the lead to Raman, but official certification was still pending in the reports published the following day. In its latest tally, Decision Desk HQ put Raman ahead by 26,124 votes, with 405,193 votes to Bass’s 379,069. That snapshot represented 51.67% for Raman and 48.33% for Bass, with an estimated 67% to 72% of expected ballots counted. The figures were reported as the count continued, not as certified final totals. The Los Angeles County registrar’s tally at 2 p.m. Wednesday showed Raman leading by 16,594 votes, with 377,458 to Bass’s 360,864. That earlier snapshot gave Raman 51.12% and Bass 48.88%. The tallies reflect different points in the counting process. County election officials were still processing ballots, and certification was expected later in November. Bass held a narrow advantage in early returns on Election Night, but Raman moved ahead as additional ballots were counted. Reports described the shift as consistent with previous Los Angeles elections, in...