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13 clusters · 56 sources · 38 days · First seen about 1 month ago · Last updated 3 days ago

LA mayoral race: Bass and Raman head to November runoff

Overview

The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral runoff between incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman has intensified following Raman’s removal as chair of the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee. Effective September 1, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson split the committee into two separate panels, a move Harris-Dawson defended by stating Raman failed to lead with urgency on over 100 issues. Raman has characterized the removal as a political “hit job” and “retaliation” by Bass and her allies.

Following the June primary, where Bass finished first with 34.3% of the vote and Raman secured 29%, the candidates are preparing for a November runoff. Raman has bolstered her campaign by securing endorsements from the Unite Here Local 11 labor union and, more recently, the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), where she received over 60% support in an online vote. While prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket currently show Bass with approximately 65% odds of winning, market activity suggests the race is tightening.

Policy friction remains high regarding the “Inside Safe” program and housing density. Simultaneously, Mayor Bass faces significant federal scrutiny. The U.S. House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, led by Representative Tim Burchett, has summoned her to testify in Washington, D.C., on September 15. The subcommittee is investigating allegations of “waste, fraud and abuse” involving more than $1 billion in federal grants distributed through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) since 2021, specifically looking into potential “corrupt contracting and grant-making.”

Entities

Karen Bass · Nithya Raman · Los Angeles · Los Angeles City Council · Marqueece Harris-Dawson

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Coverage disagrees

Sources make claims that cannot both be true. CLSTR reports the disagreement; it does not decide who is right.

"A fake poll claimed Francesca Hong held a 23-point advantage in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary."

vs

"A fake poll claimed Wisconsin candidate Francesca Hong held a 20-to-23-point lead in the gubernatorial primary."

The claims specify different lead margins (a 23-point advantage versus a 20-to-23-point lead) for the same candidate in the same poll.

[DISPUTED] A fake poll claimed Francesca Hong held a 23-point advantage in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary.
[● 9 SOURCES] The firm fabricated its polling data as a social experiment to study the spread of unverified information.
[● 9 SOURCES] A fake poll claimed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a 12-point lead over Nithya Raman.
[● 7 SOURCES] The fake Los Angeles poll claimed to have surveyed 560 voters between July 30 and August 5.
[● 5 SOURCES] The firm claimed the experiment was not funded or directed by any candidate, campaign, or political organization.
[● 4 SOURCES] The firm has withdrawn all previously published polling releases and shut down its website.
[● 4 SOURCES] The Mayor's campaign called for a criminal investigation into attempts to influence elections.
[● 3 SOURCES] In the June primary, Karen Bass received 34% of the vote and Nithya Raman received 29%. offthepress.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.latimes.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Nithya Raman's office criticized the Mayor's campaign for failing to vet the source of the poll.

Timeline

3 days ago

[POLITICS] 7 sources
Los Angeles Mayor summoned to testify over $1B homelessness fund probe
A U.S. House subcommittee has summoned Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to testify on Sept. 15 regarding an investigation into the alleged fraud and mismanagement of $1 billion in federal homelessness funds.
5 days ago

[POLITICS] 7 sources
Nithya Raman gains DSA endorsement in Los Angeles mayoral race
Nithya Raman has gained the endorsement of the Los Angeles DSA in her mayoral race against incumbent Karen Bass, amid tightening prediction markets and faculty union rallies at USC.
5 days ago

[POLITICS] 2 sources
Karen Bass seeks nuisance property funding amid reelection runoff
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is requesting $2 million to clean up nuisance properties while preparing for a November reelection runoff against Nithya Raman.
14 days ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Nithya Raman removed as Los Angeles homelessness committee chair
Los Angeles Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson has removed Nithya Raman as chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, amid political tensions and policy disputes over the city's homelessness crisis
17 days ago

[POLITICS] 10 sources
Los Angeles mayoral candidates Bass and Raman clash in first debate
Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman sparred over homelessness and public safety during their first mayoral debate, as technical issues limited the virtual livestream capacity.
17 days ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Median Strategies fake election polls revealed as social experiment
A 21-year-old admitted to running Median Strategies, a website that released fake election polls in Wisconsin, Nevada, and California as a “social experiment” to test the spread of misinformation.
18 days ago

[POLITICS] 2 sources
Nithya Raman taps Fight Agency for Los Angeles mayoral campaign
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman plans to hire Fight Agency for television ads, a move criticized by Mayor Karen Bass's campaign due to the firm's controversial political history.
20 days ago

[POLITICS] 29 sources
Median Strategies admits to fabricating election polls in social experiment
Polling firm Median Strategies admitted to fabricating election data in California, Wisconsin, and Nevada as a “social experiment” to study the spread of misinformation, prompting calls for investigations.
24 days ago

[POLITICS] 4 sources
Nithya Raman faces committee removal amid LA mayoral race
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass holds a double-digit lead in mayoral runoff polls, while challenger Nithya Raman accuses city leaders of political retaliation following her removal from a key committee chair.
27 days ago

[POLITICS] 7 sources
Los Angeles Council President to restructure homelessness committee
Los Angeles Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson plans to split the Housing and Homelessness Committee, removing chair Nithya Raman from leadership as she campaigns for mayor against Karen Bass.
about 1 month ago

[POLITICS] 4 sources
Los Angeles mayoral race intensifies as Nithya Raman attacks Karen Bass over homelessness and fire response
Nithya Raman attacks Mayor Karen Bass over a recent fire and rising homelessness, proposing cheaper short‑term rental vouchers as an alternative to costly Inside Safe beds, as the two face a November runoff in
about 1 month ago

[POLITICS] 5 sources
Los Angeles Mayoral Race: Bass and Raman Spar Over Rising Homelessness
Los Angeles’ 2026 homeless count rose 3.4% (unsheltered up 8%). Mayor Bass and challenger Raman blame each other as both advance to a November runoff after a June primary where Bass got 34% and Raman 29%. Raman
about 1 month ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Los Angeles homelessness rises as study shows rapid re‑housing cuts future homelessness
Los Angeles homelessness rose 1.2% county‑wide and 3.4% city‑wide after two years of decline, while a California Policy Lab study shows rapid re‑housing cuts future homelessness risk by 30% for individuals and

Sources

100percentfedup.com · abc7.com · americafirstreport.com · americanfaith.com · boyleheightsbeat.com · breitbart.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · cbs58.com · commercialobserver.com · conservativedailynews.com · cremation.com · dailypilot.com · dailysign.al · defirate.com · digitalchew.com · dnyuz.com · eastnewyork.com · epochtimes.com · freerepublic.com · herocomplex.latimes.com · independent.co.uk · independent.com · insider.foxnews.com · justthenews.com · krmg.com · laist.com · laopinion.com · latimes.com · lawandreligionaustralia.blog · lifezette.com · looniepolitics.com · manateeherald.com · mynewsla.com · newsday.com · newsindiatimes.com · newyorker.com · nypost.com · offthepress.com · pjmedia.com · prospect.org · semissourian.com · smobserved.com · theguardian.com · themreport.com · thenationalpulse.com · thenerdstash.com · thewrap.com · timesng.com

This summary has been updated 13 times: see revision history