Seventy-five percent of Los Angeles mayoral candidates completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey as of May 25. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. The nonpartisan primary is on June 2.
Twelve of the 16 candidates submitted survey responses, including two of three candidates leading in polling and media attention: Incumbent Karen Bass and Nithya Raman. The third candidate, Spencer Pratt, had not submitted a survey as of May 25.
In 2022, only 33% of mayoral primary candidates (four of 12) completed surveys. Unlike in 2026, neither Bass or Rick Caruso, the other leading candidate in 2022, completed surveys.
Here are Bass and Raman's responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
Bass:
“In just three years, we’ve created change and turned things around. Street homelessness is down for the first time in modern memory. Crime has fallen, with homicide levels lower than they've been since the 1960s. We’re accelerating nearly 40,000 units of housing after decades of under-building. And we’ve launched LA’s first-ever infrastructure plan to fix the sidewalks, streets, and streetlights that were neglected for far too long. ... I’m running for a second term because the foundation is laid, and now we can build the city we all deserve — a city where our kids no longer dodge tents on their walk to school. Where hardworking people can afford to live. Where restaurants, soundstages, and downtowns are thriving again. Where every neighborhood reflects the dynamism, the culture, and the spirit of Los Angeles.”
Raman:
“Los Angeles has a cost crisis, and there's no way around the core problem: we haven't built enough housing. ... I want to dramatically increase housing production at all income levels, especially near transit and jobs — while also protecting renters from displacement and opening up real pathways to affordable homeownership. ... I want to take a new approach to homelessness ... [t]hat includes investing in prevention, expanding mental health and medical care, creating faster pathways into lower-cost housing, better coordination across agencies, and clear metrics so public dollars are actually tied to outcomes. ... City Hall has been forced to cut services to the bone due to fiscal mismanagement and politically-motivated budget decisions that have bankrupted the city. As mayor, I’ll work to restore services and rebuild our infrastructure.”
When asked which areas of public policy they were personally passionate about, Bass and Raman said:
Bass:
"I am deeply passionate about addressing homelessness and housing affordability, which I view as a life-and-death emergency. Through initiatives like Inside Safe, we are moving people indoors and treating this as a humanitarian crisis. I am also dedicated to environmental justice, having worked to phase out urban oil drilling and transition Los Angeles to a clean energy future while protecting our most vulnerable communities. Additionally, I am passionate about public safety, focusing on a comprehensive approach that balances a strong, fully-staffed police department with community-led intervention strategies."
Raman:
"LA was originally designed as a streetcar city, but now the assumption is that everyone in LA needs to drive. More people in LA should have other options. We have the perfect weather for biking and walking and half of all trips are under 3 miles. But people don’t bike or walk: it’s not safe because we haven’t built the infrastructure for it. We have one of the most extensive bus networks in the country, but buses are slow because they get stuck in the same traffic as cars. As mayor, I’ll build out the transit and street safety infrastructure that the city has long promised."
Click on the candidates' profile pages below to read their full responses to these and other questions.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.