LOS ANGELES, Calif. — With twelve days left in Los Angeles' mayoral race, challenger Nithya Raman is trying to outrun a viral freeze on national television while incumbent Mayor Karen Bass faces voters who are openly frustrated with her record and, in interviews this week, said they may vote for her anyway, according to campaign coverage.
The moment came in an interview broadcast this week, when CNN's Elex Michaelson asked Raman to name a police chief she admires, according to the New York Post.
Raman answered twice, "I don't know," according to the Post's October 21, 2026 report, and the clip spread widely online.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and in-person voting opens Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 123 vote centers across Los Angeles County, according to the county registrar.
A Pause, a Clip, and a Week of Cleanup
The interview landed days after Raman's televised-debate remark calling the era of former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates the "gold standard" for keeping local police out of immigration enforcement, which drew a demand for an apology from Bass on October 15, 2026, according to MyNewsLA.
Raman has since apologized for the remark, privately to a South Los Angeles community group and on a podcast, according to Politico's California Playbook as reported October 21, 2026.
Raman has also said she would fire LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell if elected, while declining to name a replacement publicly, according to the coverage.
Businessman Rick Caruso, who lost the 2022 mayoral race to Bass, praised the mayor, endorsed neither candidate, and criticized Raman's plan to remove McDonnell, according to NBC Los Angeles.
An Eye Roll, a Reluctant Vote, and the Anger at City Hall
Reporters interviewing voters across Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, found frustration with homelessness, the cost of living, public safety, and the response to the January 2025 Palisades Fire, according to the New York Post's October 22, 2026 report.
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The Post's interviews were street conversations, not a scientific poll.
Hollywood writer Heidi Van Tassell, who was attacked by a homeless man on Hollywood Boulevard in 2019, told the Post she was disappointed in Bass but planned to vote for her.
"I'd rather have four more years of her than eight years of Nithya Raman," Van Tassell said, according to the Post.
Van Tassell also said she had raised homelessness with Raman directly and came away unconvinced, recalling that Raman rolled her eyes and said, "We're done here," according to the Post.
A Fire, a Chief, and Twelve Days
On October 20, 2026, county Supervisor Lindsey Horvath endorsed Raman, the only member of the Board of Supervisors backing her, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Raman has also proposed an audit of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as high utility bills became a campaign issue, according to ABC7.
What happens next is the vote itself, with early vote centers open from Saturday and ballots due by 8 p.m. on November 3, 2026.
Sources
New York Post, Raman interview report, October 21, 2026, and LA voter interviews, October 22, 2026; MyNewsLA, Bass presses Raman over former LAPD chief comment, October 15, 2026; Los Angeles Times, Horvath endorsement coverage, October 20, 2026; NBC Los Angeles, Caruso comments, October 2026; ABC7, Raman LADWP audit proposal, October 2026.
Transparency notes
Published: Oct 22, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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