Know Who's on Your Ballot

Karen Bass was elected Mayor in November 2022, becoming the first Black woman and second woman to lead Los Angeles. A former U.S. Representative and social worker, she declared a state of emergency on homelessness on her first day in office, launching Inside Safe, which is a program moving unhoused Angelenos into interim housing. She has faced sustained criticism over her response to the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, which destroyed thousands of homes while she was abroad. Her administration has focused on affordable housing production, mental health services, and community investment. She is endorsed by Kamala Harris, Governor Newsom, Maxine Waters, Magic Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, and the LA County Democratic Party.

Nithya Raman is the city councilor for District 4 (Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Studio City) and assistant council president pro tempore. She entered the mayoral race in February 2026, just hours before the filing deadline, as a progressive alternative to Bass, positioning herself to the left of the incumbent on housing, policing, and economic equity. She advanced from the June primary with 29% of the vote. A data scientist and urban planner by background, she is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has been endorsed by the LA DSA, the California Working Families Party, and Our Revolution. She is challenging Bass from the left on housing production, police accountability, and the city's response to the homelessness crisis.

Rob Bonta has served as California Attorney General since 2021, appointed by Governor Newsom after Xavier Becerra became U.S. HHS Secretary. He won re-election in 2022 and advanced from the June 2026 primary with 54% of the vote. A former Assemblymember from Oakland, Bonta has focused on consumer protection, gun safety enforcement, police accountability, and defending California's progressive laws against federal challenges under the Trump administration. He has filed dozens of lawsuits against Trump administration policies on immigration, environmental protection, and civil rights.

Michael Gates is the former City Attorney of Huntington Beach, where he served three terms from 2014 to 2024. He advanced from the June 2026 primary with 41.5% of the vote. As Huntington Beach City Attorney, he became nationally known for challenging state housing laws and defending the city's refusal to comply with state mandates on affordable housing. He is running on a platform of restoring public safety, combating fentanyl trafficking, and bringing what he calls 'accountability' back to state government. He is endorsed by Steve Hilton, the Republican gubernatorial nominee.