The race for mayor of Los Angeles is, for the first time in a long time, one of the most uncertain, in that we don't know who will be the winner, especially because Mayor Karen Bass is in trouble. Something happened that caused her to fall out of favor with many Angelenos. And while the most recent UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, shows her as the leading candidate with 25% voter support, it does nothing to help her reelection hopes, as 56% of those surveyed do not have a good opinion of her, and only 31% view her favorably. It should be noted that Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who only announced her mayoral candidacy in January, garnered 17% of the vote. Not bad considering how little time she's had to campaign, while Republican Spencer Pratt, a complete unknown, appears with 14%. The poll results are striking because the mayor has no serious opponents. Businessman Rick Caruso, whose millions could have given her a real scare, decided not to participate; While former superintendent of education Beutner Austin dropped out of the race after the unexpected death of his young daughter.

We cannot deny that the devastating wildfires of January 2025 continue to take their toll on the mayor, not only because it was poorly received that she was out of the country on a diplomatic trip to Africa when they broke out, but also because of her subsequent handling of the fires, particularly the Pacific Palisades fire, which falls within the city's jurisdiction.

Let's remember that she also faces accusations that she ordered the subsequent report on the fire to be softened.

While Bass has made a serious effort to address the issue of homelessness, in areas like District 1, instead of improvement, there has been a regression, and many consider MacArthur Park and its surroundings to be the new Skid Row.

One important finding from the poll is that 43% of African American voters support her. Anyway, a low number.

We don't know what happened to Mayor Bass,But a general disenchantment and disillusionment arose regarding her performance after her election four years ago sparked great enthusiasm and she enjoyed widespread popularity. In 2022,she made history as the first female mayor of Los Angeles, and also the first African American female mayor, and the second African American person to lead the city. The question many of us are asking is whether the mayor will be able to overcome this voter discouragement. The priorities remain the same: the lack of affordable housing, homelessness, better infrastructure, crime, the high cost of living, and exorbitant rents. Angelenos feel that not much progress has been made. As for Councilwoman Raman, her biggest enemy is that she entered the race late, and as a result, the Democratic Socialists, from which she came, decided not to support her. So, while voters already know Bass and what she is and isn't capable of, her challenge is to convince ordinary voters to give her a second chance; Meanwhile, for Councilwoman Raman, an immigrant woman from India, her challenge is to raise her profile beyond her district and persuade people that she can deliver better results than the current mayor. Both, however, have the clock ticking against them. The primary election is just around the corner; it's on Tuesday, June 2nd.