Bombshell poll shows LA mayoral candidate suddenly surging in key demographic — hours before pivotal head-to-head

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A bombshell poll showing LA mayoral challenger Nithya Raman with a stunning 24-point lead over Karen Bass among Latino voters will loom large as the rivals face off in a high-stakes televised showdown Thursday night.

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% among Latino likely voters, with another 34% undecided just weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

The political battle has intensified since voters were surveyed, with the candidates clashing over the LAPD, 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 was ready to lead Los Angeles.

“It certainly showed that she is not ready for prime time,” Bass told The California Post during a news conference.

“I even question if she understands what fascism is or its place in history.”

The blistering attack came just hours before both candidates were scheduled to face questions from Hispanic voters during a special Univision 34 forum at 7 p.m.

The escalating fight over policing comes as the Berkeley poll found crime and public safety ranked among the most pressing concerns for Los Angeles voters, alongside homelessness, affordable housing and city infrastructure.

The controversy has exposed a sharp divide over the future of the LAPD.

Bass has defended Chief Jim McDonnell, whom she appointed in 2024, as Los Angeles has recorded significant declines in violent crime.

Raman has pledged to replace McDonnell if elected, arguing that his handling of federal immigration raids and the protests that followed has fallen short.

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The latest controversy erupted after a social media video featured Raman repeating the phrase “Only you can stop fascist liars” alongside content creator Ed Choi.

The video showed images of Bass and McDonnell and a large red X over the police chief’s face, drawing outrage from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which warned that the imagery could endanger him.

Raman’s campaign maintains that her remarks referred to ICE and the Trump administration, not McDonnell, and that the video’s creator added the controversial imagery after the interview.

The campaign said it requested the video’s removal.

Meanwhile, the Berkeley poll revealed a striking generational divide among Latino voters.

Among those ages 18 to 49, Raman held a commanding 60% to 9% lead over Bass.

But among Latino voters 50 and older, Bass led Raman 36% to 26%.

The numbers mark a sharp contrast with the June primary, when Bass carried 35 Latino-majority neighborhoods compared with just seven for Raman, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of election results.

Bass’ campaign has challenged the Berkeley poll’s methodology, pointing to its own August survey showing the mayor leading Raman by two points among Latino voters.

The Berkeley survey included 427 Latino respondents, with a six-point margin of error for that subgroup.

Thursday’s Univision forum, “Los Latinos Preguntan: Los Candidatos Responden,” will feature separate 30-minute interviews with Bass and Raman rather than a traditional face-to-face debate.

Each candidate will answer questions from approximately 15 to 20 members of Los Angeles’ Hispanic community about public safety, homelessness, housing costs, jobs and the economy.

Univision anchors Gabriela Tessier and Octavio Valdez will moderate the program, airing at 7 p.m. on Univision 34 and streaming nationally on ViX.