Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has a 12-point advantage over mayoral challenger Nithya Raman among Latino voters, according to a new poll — contradicting another recent survey that showed Raman with a commanding lead among Latinos.
The Friday poll from BSP Research — done on behalf of Unidos Con Karen Bass, an independent expenditure group supporting the mayor — showed Bass leading with 40% support among Latinos to Raman’s 28%, with 32% still undecided.
The poll is “showing real momentum heading into the final weeks of the campaign,” declared former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, who has endorsed Bass.
According to the poll, Bass’s lead among Latinos was strongest among Spanish-speaking voters, giving the incumbent a whopping 32 percentage-point lead over Raman. Angelenos aged 50 and older supported Raman at a 53% rate, compared to 17% for Raman.
Those under 40 were more evenly split between the two candidates, with each gaining just 35% support from that demographic.
Regionally, Bass’s Latino support was strongest in downtown AL, in South Los Angeles and in the San Fernando Valley, the survey showed. Raman led among Latinos in west Los Angeles. The area most up for grabs was East Los Angeles, where 44% were undecided.
The survey was conducted Oct. 1 to 8 among 602 Latino voters.
Latinos are the largest ethnic group in Los Angeles and expected to make up close to 30% of all
ballots.
The results clash with a bombshell Oct. 2 poll showing Raman with a stunning 24-point lead over Bass among Latinos.
The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll, conducted Sept. 15–20 and published Oct. 2, found Raman leading Bass 45% to 21%.
The Berkeley poll did map out the same trend of Bass dominating with older Latino votes and Raman potentially having an edge with younger voters.
The political battle has intensified since voters were surveyed in that poll, with the candidates clashing over police, immigration enforcement and Raman’s judgment after she appeared in a since-deleted social media video featuring the words “Only you can stop fascist liars.”
The feud erupted Thursday when Bass blasted Raman as “incredibly irresponsible” and questioned whether her challenger, a Democratic socialist, was ready to lead Los Angeles.
The California Post reached out to Matt Barreto, who leads the poll’s conductor BSP Research, for comment.
