LA Voters Decide Between Bass and Raman for Mayor; Hilton Faces Becerra in Governor Race

Los Angeles voters head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to determine whether Mayor Karen Bass secures a second term or if Nithya Raman takes over city leadership. Statewide, California residents face a choice between Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra for governor, along with races for vice governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. The ballot also includes 14 state propositions covering voter identification, income tax rate increases, and a tax on millionaires.

The election marks a pivotal shift in local representation. In Municipal District 9, voters will select their first Latino council member since Edward Roybal in 1962. The district, which covers Downtown Los Angeles, Vermont Square, Central-Alameda, and Green Meadows, has shifted demographically to approximately 80 percent Latino over several decades. Previously, the seat was held by African American officials, including outgoing Councilman Curren Price, who is leaving due to term limits.

In the District 9 race, Estuardo Mazariegos and Jose Ugarte present distinct platforms on public safety and housing. Mazariegos, co-director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, advocates for increased oversight of the LAPD and reduced departmental funding to support crisis response programs. He has criticized the city’s 41.18 ordinance regarding homeless camps. Ugarte, a former deputy chief of staff to Price, supports Mayor Bass’s goal of restoring the LAPD to 9,500 officers and backs the enforcement of the 41.18 law.

Campaign dynamics in District 9 have featured external funding and internal endorsements. Mazariegos received support from the Socialist Democratic Party of the United States Los Angeles chapter, Councilmember Eunisses Hernández, City Controller Kenneth Mejía, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the United Teachers Los Angeles. Ugarte drew backing from the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and Councilmember Tim McOsker. Independent expenditures from Airbnb, Uber, and the California Apartment Association have supported Ugarte’s campaign, a move Mazariegos has described as an attempt to buy influence.

A prior ethics issue involving Ugarte resurfaced during the campaign. In 2025, the City Ethics Commission fined him $20,000 for failing to disclose external income from lobbying and consulting work. Ugarte accepted the fine and noted that his work with Ugarte & Associates, started with his sister in 2018, did not overlap with his role as deputy chief of staff under Price, a position he held from 2013 to 2019 and again from 2021.

Simultaneously, voters in Municipal District 3 are choosing between Tim Gaspar and Barri Worth Girvan. Gaspar, who founded an insurance company he sold in 2021, campaigned on bringing a pro-business perspective to City Hall. Worth Girvan, a former government employee who worked for Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, emphasized her experience and connections to benefit West Valley residents. The race, covering Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda, and Winnetka, has been contentious.

Worth Girvan filed an ethics complaint against Gaspar with the City Ethics Commission, alleging he failed to report over $150,000 in personal and business expenses related to his campaign. The complaint also claimed he violated municipal matching funds regulations. Gaspar denied wrongdoing, calling the accusations lies and describing Worth Girvan as a career politician unlikely to drive change. A political ad from the Worth Girvan campaign featured a former Gaspar employee who alleged a hostile work environment at the insurance firm, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Logistical arrangements for election day are in place across Los Angeles. Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with voters in line before closing allowed to cast ballots. The Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center in the county’s warehouse-style facility will handle votes from 5.8 million registered voters. To facilitate turnout, Los Angeles Metro is offering free rides on all buses, trains, Metro Bike Share, and Metro Micro services from 4 a.m. on Nov. 3 until 3 a.m. on Nov. 4.