(Bloomberg) — US Representative Karen Bass and billionaire real-estate developer Rick Caruso are running neck-and-neck in the race to become mayor of Los Angeles.
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Caruso had a slight edge with 51.3% support compared to 48.8% for Bass as of early Wednesday, with an estimated 43% of the votes tallied, according to the Associated Press. If the primary in June is a guide, the outcome may not be known for days, or even longer, depending on the number of late mail-in ballots.
While Bass was the front-runner for much of the general election, Caruso gained ground in the final stretch of the campaign with a law-and-order message and a $100 million war chest, outspending Bass by a wide margin.
A Caruso victory would end two decades of control by the city’s Democratic establishment, which rallied around Bass. If Bass is elected, she would become the first female and second Black mayor of America’s second-largest city.
Crime, Homelessness
The contest comes against the backdrop of voter frustration over rising crime rates and a deepening homeless crisis, as well as public outrage over a leaked recording of three city council members making racist and derogatory remarks.
Caruso, a Republican-turned-Democrat, has called for the city to hire 1,500 more police officers and reverse police department budget cuts. The 63-year-old developer of luxury malls and hotels promised to impose a homeless emergency on his first day, creating 30,000 beds in 300 days.
Bass has also focused on crime and homelessness in her campaign. The 69-year-old vowed to house 17,000 people in her first year, a number she bumped up by 2,000 recently.
The winner will succeed two-term Mayor Eric Garcetti, whose nomination by President Joe Biden to be the US ambassador to India has been stalled in the Senate for more than a year.
The LA County registrar’s office said in a statement released early on Wednesday that the “first post-election day ballot count update” is scheduled for Friday.
The tight race for mayor still appears close enough that it could swing either way. On the night of the June 7 primary, the tally showed that Caruso was ahead of Bass. But in the days that followed — as mail-in ballots were counted — the race flipped in favor of Bass, and Caruso finished about seven percentage points behind her.
“We wanted a campaign that reflects our values — our values as Democrats, our values as Angelenos,” Bass said in a speech late Tuesday night. “It might take a few days, but when we win, we will win.”
At his own event, Caruso also expressed optimism about his chances. “We don’t know the outcome yet, but I’m happy to say we’re starting out strong,” Caruso said.
–With assistance from John Gittelsohn, Christopher Palmeri and Linus Chua.
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