Nearly 40% of LA Voters Still Undecided Ahead of 2026 Mayor’s Race, According to Recent Poll
Poll Reveals Uncertainty Ahead of LA Mayoral Primary
LOS ANGELES – With the June 2 primary election approaching, a recent poll by UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs highlights a significant level of uncertainty among voters in the Los Angeles mayoral race. Nearly 40% of likely voters remain undecided, presenting a challenging landscape for candidates.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass leads the field with 25% support, but faces strong competition from reality TV personality Spencer Pratt at 11% and City Councilmember Nithya Raman at 9%. Bass shows considerable strength among Black voters, where she holds a commanding 53% lead, but her appeal appears less certain among Latino, White, and Asian American communities.
The poll, which surveyed 813 likely voters between March 15 and March 29, underscores the potential volatility in the race. "It is unusual for 40% of likely voters to be unsure of their choice just two months before an LA mayoralty election," said Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA Luskin. He noted that while Bass is facing her most challenging reelection, the data suggests that the race is "wide-open" for those trailing her.
Under Los Angeles election rules, if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates will move on to a runoff in November. This scenario raises questions about how undecided voters will ultimately cast their ballots and whether minor candidates could disrupt the frontrunners’ efforts to consolidate support.
Political analysts are closely monitoring how recent city crises, including a nearly $1 billion budget gap and the aftermath of the Pacific Palisades wildfire, may sway voter sentiment in the final weeks before the election.
Candidates are expected to intensify their outreach efforts to sway the undecided voters. For Pratt and Raman, the upcoming weeks will be critical in their attempts to secure a place in the runoff. Meanwhile, Mayor Bass is likely to focus on reinforcing her base while working to broaden her support among younger voters.
