After months of political sparring, Election Day has arrived in Los Angeles. With thousands of Angelenos heading to the polls to choose the city’s next mayor, Karen Bass and Nithya Raman took to the streets to make their final appeals to voters.
The current mayor expressed a need for one final term to follow through on the foundation she said she has built, while the last-minute addition to the race, Councilmember Raman, argued that Los Angeles is in need of change.
Bass kicked off Election Day with a campaign stop at the L.A. County Federation of Labor, surrounded by union workers and members of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Bass delivered a speech centered on the foundation she has spent her first term building, which includes programs such as Inside Safe, a comprehensive infrastructure plan and expanded transportation across the city.
“We have had an impact on affordability, we have much more to do, but I am confident in the foundation we have laid in the first four years,” Bass said, telling Angelenos there is more work to be done.
Bass called herself a child of a laborer, saying she understands the needs of working-class Angelenos. What drives her, the mayor said, is the ambition to create a more affordable city where voters’ children can remain and raise families of their own in Los Angeles.
Taking one final jab at her opponent, Bass accused Raman of not supporting laborers and of changing her values throughout the campaign.
“One never knows who she’s going to be from one hour to the next,” Bass said. “But you know who I am. You have known me for a long time, and I have never changed my values, my commitment to fighting for justice, my stance with working people.”
In a second term, Bass promised that by 2030, there would be no more encampments on the streets through affordable housing programs and by securing the services unhoused Angelenos need.
Bass told Los Angeles that throughout her campaign, she has learned that residents are frustrated. Bass said she shares that frustration and is looking forward to expanding the programs she laid the foundation for during her first term.
“I wish on day one that I could have changed things that have been broken or behind for decades,” Bass said. “We now have a comprehensive infrastructure plan … I look forward on day one of a new administration [to] delving into our infrastructure.”
After casting her own ballot in Silver Lake on Tuesday, Raman took to the streets of San Pedro to greet supporters.
Raman reiterated her plan for addressing homelessness, saying it would be her top priority if elected mayor. She also outlined how she would measure her success in office. In District Four, which she has represented since 2020, homelessness has dropped approximately 49%, according to her office. Raman said she aims to bring those same results to every block and every district in the city.
“Even though we’ve reduced homelessness so much, we still get the most calls about it,” Raman said. “If we can make visible, palpable progress on this issue in my first term, that will be the measure of my success.”
Also taking the opportunity to criticize her opponent, Raman said she believes Bass has repeatedly disappointed L.A. residents and accused the establishment of worsening under her leadership.
While Bass expressed eagerness for the election cycle to come to a close, Raman called the experience a “gift.” She said speaking with Angelenos throughout the race has not only inspired her vision for what the city could become under new leadership, but she hopes the experience inspires others as well.
As a mother from Silver Lake, Raman said her vision for the city is one that is fit for her family, neighbors and community.
“If we all dream of a better city together, then we will build that city together,” Raman said.
In her final words to Los Angeles readers, Raman said she will continue to fight for clean, safe streets, an efficient 911 system that delivers targeted and individualized responses, and an effective public transportation system.
“Angelenos work hard. I know that,” Raman said. “You deserve a City Hall that works as hard as you do, and when I am mayor, I will deliver that City Hall to you.”
The post Bass Defends Her Record As Raman Promises Change on Election Day appeared first on LAmag.
