Councilmember nithya raman leads Mayor Karen Bass in a recent UC Berkeley/L.A. Times poll, with 39% of likely Los Angeles voters saying they back Raman and 28% backing Bass, the poll found as the two met for the final televised debate Tuesday night.
Raman and Bass sparred on housing, public safety and the city’s response to recent fires in a one-hour, commercial-free debate hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52, with moderators pressing both on records and plans ahead of the Nov. 3 election, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll the Times published found a large share of voters remain undecided: 33% of likely voters said they had not settled on a choice, the Times live coverage noted, a dynamic campaign strategists say makes the final debate potentially consequential.
Local NBC4 live updates described exchanges in which Bass criticized Raman’s housing record while Raman faulted Bass’s leadership during emergency responses and fires, tradeoffs that campaign advisers told NBC4 could influence turnout among younger and renter voters.
Raman finished second to Bass in the June primary and has been campaigning to consolidate progressive and younger voters since announcing her challenge in February, NBC4 reported. The debate was streamed on NBCLA.com and Telemundo52.com, and aired live on both broadcast channels.
With the poll showing a double-digit lead for Raman but a third of the electorate undecided, both campaigns framed the debate as a last chance to sway swing voters before ballots arrive. Analysts cited by the Times and local outlets say turnout among younger voters will be a key variable in November.
The story will develop as post-debate coverage and new polling follow; this article updates what both the Los Angeles Times and NBC4 published during and immediately after the event.
Sources
- Los Angeles Times — live debate coverage and the Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll figures including 39% for Raman, 28% for Bass and 33% undecided.
- NBC Los Angeles — live updates on debate exchanges, debate hosting details and background on both candidates.
