Challenger Nithya Raman has widened her lead over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayor race, with the latest Los Angeles County returns giving Raman 405,193 votes to Bass's 379,069. The margin now stands at 26,124 votes, up from 16,594 votes when 62.7% of the expected vote had been counted, and the contest for America's second-largest city remains uncalled.

Raman holds 51.67% of the vote to Bass's 48.33%, according to the latest count released on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. An estimated 67% of the expected vote has now been tallied, leaving hundreds of thousands of ballots still outstanding. Neither candidate has claimed victory or conceded, and officials stress the result is not final until every valid ballot is processed.

Key Points

• Raman leads Bass 405,193 votes to 379,069, a margin of 26,124 votes, with 51.67% to 48.33%.
• The lead has grown steadily through Wednesday's count, from 16,594 votes at 62.7% counted and 18,205 votes at 3 a.m. Wednesday.
• An estimated 67% of the expected vote is counted, with hundreds of thousands of ballots still to come.
• The race remains uncalled, and California mail ballots postmarked by Election Day still count if they arrive within seven days.
• The county plans daily updates through November 13, with certification due by November 27.

What Happened

The latest update continues a dramatic reversal that began on election night. When the first results were released after polls closed on Tuesday, November 3, Bass held a narrow early lead. That advantage disappeared overnight as Los Angeles County released further batches of ballots, putting Raman ahead 51.1% to 48.9% at 62.7% counted, a margin of 16,594 votes.

Wednesday's counting pushed the challenger further in front. At 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Raman led 377,458 votes to 360,864, a difference of 18,205 votes with 63% counted. By the end of the day's releases, her total had reached 405,193 against 379,069 for Bass, stretching the gap to 26,124 votes.

The race is still listed as too close to call. With only about two-thirds of the expected vote counted, the remaining third is large enough, in theory, to change the outcome, even though the trend so far points the other way.

Background and Context

The runoff followed a campaign that polls showed as effectively tied. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, released in the final week of the campaign, put both candidates at 40% support among likely voters, with 19% undecided. An earlier California Post survey had shown Raman ahead 46.7% to 38.8%, with 71.7% of voters disapproving of the mayor's performance, a reminder of how divided the city's electorate had become.

Raman, a city councilmember, built her challenge around housing affordability, homelessness and the cost of living, presenting herself as the candidate of a younger, more progressive Los Angeles. Bass, seeking a second term, campaigned on her record in office and her experience in Washington, where she previously served in Congress.

Los Angeles County's counting process is famously slow: it is the largest election jurisdiction in the United States, and California law allows mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive and be counted for up to seven days afterwards.

Los Angeles Mayor Race: Why the Late Ballots Favour Raman

The pattern of the count so far fits the profile of Raman's coalition. Veteran California political strategist Dan Schnur told the California Post that Raman's strength among younger voters would make a growing deficit especially difficult for Bass to overcome, since late-counted ballots in Los Angeles have tended to skew younger.

That does not make the result a formality. Late ballots are not a single bloc, and the remaining vote includes ballots from every part of the city. But direction matters: a lead that grows with every release is harder to reverse, because the trailing candidate needs the remaining ballots to break sharply against the trend.

Reactions and Quotes

Raman's campaign has expressed optimism and confidence that, when all the votes are counted, she will become the 44th mayor of Los Angeles, according to NBC Los Angeles. She has so far stopped short of declaring victory, saying she would wait for the remaining ballots to be counted before claiming the race.

The reaction from Bass's supporters has been sharper. The Los Angeles police officers' union, which put significant money behind the Bass campaign, grew increasingly concerned as the lead widened on Wednesday. Its president, Jamie McBride, told NBC Los Angeles: "If Nithya Raman becomes the mayor, the city needs to prepare for Armageddon." The remark underlined how high the stakes feel inside City Hall's traditional power centres, where a Raman victory would mark a generational changing of the guard.

Why It Matters

Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States, and its mayor controls a budget of tens of billions of dollars, oversees the police department, and sets policy on homelessness, housing and development for nearly four million residents. A change of mayor would also reshape the city's politics ahead of major international events it is preparing to host,.

The result also matters nationally. The 2026 midterms have already delivered a strong night for Democrats across the country, and the Los Angeles result is one of the last major contests still outstanding. A Raman win would cap a cycle in which younger, more progressive candidates performed strongly, while a Bass comeback would show that an incumbent with deep establishment roots can still survive a difficult political environment.

What Happens Next

Los Angeles County will continue releasing updated results, with updates twice a day from November 4 to 6 and daily from November 7. The county plans daily updates through November 13, and the results are due to be certified by November 27. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can still arrive and be counted for seven days after the election.

Until the count is complete, both campaigns will watch each new batch and the direction of the margin. If Raman's lead keeps growing, pressure will build for a concession; if it narrows, the race could stay unresolved deep into November.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is leading the Los Angeles mayor race?

Nithya Raman leads Karen Bass 405,193 votes to 379,069, a margin of 26,124 votes, with an estimated 67% of the expected vote counted.

Has a winner been declared?

No. The race remains uncalled, and neither candidate has claimed victory or conceded.

Why is the count taking so long?

Los Angeles County is the largest election jurisdiction in the country, and California counts mail ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive within seven days, so the final result in a close race can take weeks.

When will the result be certified?

The county plans daily updates through November 13, with certification due by November 27.

What happens if Raman wins?

She would become the 44th mayor of Los Angeles, succeeding Karen Bass.

Read more on US News Pulse: our earlier report on Raman's overnight move into the lead, how Hispanic voters swung back to Democrats in the 2026 midterms, and Ted Cruz's warning about Democratic impeachment plans.