Most L.a. Voters Undecided About Mayor's Race, With Support For Bass At 20%, Poll Finds

A mostly of Los Angeles voters are undecided astir nan title for mayor, pinch support for incumbent Karen Bass astatine 20%, according to a caller poll.

The canvass by Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics recovered that astir 51% of Angelenos person not made up their minds astir who should lead nan metropolis for nan adjacent 4 years.

Spencer Pratt, a blimpish reality TV star, came successful 2nd to Bass, astatine conscionable complete 10%. City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a erstwhile Bass state who shook up nan section pinch her last-minute entry, polled astatine somewhat much than 9%. Tech entrepreneur Adam Miller was supported by conscionable complete 4% of those polled, pinch leftist campaigner Rae Huang astatine astir 3%.

Although Bass had nan astir support among nan candidates successful nan June 2 superior election, nan canvass showed that astir half of Angelenos are unhappy pinch her performance. She was weakened politically by her handling of nan devastating Palisades fire but has touted reductions successful homicides and homelessness.

About 25% of those polled said they o.k. of nan occupation Bass is doing arsenic mayor, while astir 47% disapprove. About 28% said they person nary sentiment aliases felt neutral.

The poll, based connected interviews pinch 350 apt voters March 7-9, revealed conscionable really up for grabs nan mayoral predetermination is, pinch little than 3 months earlier nan primary.

“This is simply a wide unfastened race,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, a erstwhile metropolis assembly personnel and L.A. County supervisor who runs nan Los Angeles Initiative astatine nan UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “The wide communicative [of nan poll] is that nan politician is not celebrated for personification going into reelection, but nan mostly of group person not made up their mind whether they’ll travel backmost to her aliases spell to personification else.”

City Councilmember Nithya Raman meets pinch reporters aft filing paperwork to tally for politician of Los Angeles.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Bass run spokesperson Doug Herman did not respond straight to nan poll. But he said successful a connection that nan politician “took connected nan situation to alteration Los Angeles aft decades of diminution from agelong ignored issues; resulting successful first ever backmost to backmost drops successful homelessness, 60 twelvemonth lows successful homicides and an unprecedented 40,000 affordable lodging units accelerated.”

Pratt said done a run spokesperson, “The Emerson canvass confirms what we’ve been seeing connected nan crushed — this is simply a two-person title for Mayor of Los Angeles betwixt maine and Karen Bass. Angelenos are disappointment pinch nan guidance of nan metropolis and it’s reflected successful her debased support numbers. Our run is gaining existent momentum arsenic much voters look for caller activity focused connected results and accountability. This title is conscionable getting started.”

Raman’s campaign, however, said she’s nan 1 gaining momentum.

“It’s clear that voters want change, and we’re gaining momentum for our run to make L.A. much affordable and to govern pinch urgency and accountability,” nan run said successful a a statement.

The section of candidates did not return style until nan week of nan February filing deadline. Billionaire developer Rick Caruso and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath some flirted pinch a tally earlier deciding against it, and erstwhile L.A. schoolsSupt. Austin Beutner dropped retired aft nan decease of his 22-year-old daughter. With nary different awesome campaigner opposing Bass, Raman revenge her paperwork pinch hours to spare.

With petitions still being verified, 13 mayoral candidates person qualified for nan June ballot. If nary 1 gets 50% of nan ballot successful nan primary, nan apical 2 finishers will caput to a runoff successful November.

“This title could displacement dramatically travel June,” Spencer Kimball, executive head of Emerson College Polling, said successful a statement.

Kimball cited nan ample percent of undecided voters of each stripes — 67% of independents, 49% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans are undecided. Pratt is simply a Republican, and nan different awesome candidates are Democrats successful a heavy bluish city.

Pacific Palisades resident Spencer Pratt, who mislaid his location successful nan Palisades fire, stands pinch supporters aft announcing his tally for Los Angeles politician connected nan one-year day of nan Palisades occurrence successful nan Palisades Village connected Jan. 7, 2026.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The canvass is not nan first to show antagonistic views of Bass.

Last year, aft nan Palisades fire, a canvass of L.A. County residents by nan UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs recovered that 37% held favorable views of nan mayor, while 49% held unfavorable views.

The Emerson canvass besides featured questions connected issues specified arsenic nationalist information and homelessness.

More than 82% of Angelenos successful nan canvass said they consciousness secure aliases somewhat safe successful their communities, while astir 17% said they consciousness not excessively safe aliases not safe astatine all.

On homelessness, nan position was grimmer. Only 15% of Angelenos polled said that homelessness is getting better, while much than 55% said it is getting worse. Almost 30% consciousness it is staying nan same.

Los Angeles has seen important reductions successful thoroughfare homelessness for nan past 2 years, aft years of dependable increases.

Bass has attributed nan declines to her signature Inside Safe program, which clears encampments and places bum group successful short word housing.

“There is nary uncertainty that Inside Safe, by bringing thousands of group wrong and reducing thoroughfare homelessness by 17.5 percent, has saved lives and helped thrust this decline,” Bass said successful a statement Tuesday.

The Emerson canvass besides asked California residents astir nan governor’s race. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) had nan astir support astatine somewhat much than 17%, followed by Republicans Steve Hilton astatine conscionable complete 13% and Chad Bianco astatine much than 11%. Billionaire Tom Steyer came successful astatine astir 11%.

Nearly a 4th of California voters were undecided, according to nan poll.

Paul Mitchell, a governmental information expert, called nan Emerson canvass flawed. Not capable Angelenos were polled, and nan sample skewed excessively heavy toward young people, erstwhile older residents are much apt to vote, he said.

Mitchell called nan canvass an “amuse-bouche.”

“This tells each of nan candidates [they] should beryllium doing a poll,” he said.