*Two of Los Angeles County‘s most recognizable mayors are trailing their challengers following Tuesday’s November 3 election, and neither contest is settled.

As of this posting, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is behind City Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose lead widened during Wednesday’s ballot counting.

In Inglewood, Mayor James T. Butts Jr. trails Councilmember Gloria Gray by 758 votes in a six-candidate contest.

Both incumbents entered the election facing scrutiny, including criticism of Bass’ response to the devastating Palisades fire and disputed misconduct allegations involving Butts.

Now, as additional ballots are processed, the question is whether either mayor can recover enough ground to retain office.

Nithya Raman Leads Karen Bass in Los Angeles

According to The LA Local’s November 4 election updates, Raman held 51.7% of the vote to Bass’s 48.3% as of Wednesday at 4:28 p.m. Pacific.

That represented a reversal from earlier returns, when Bass initially led the race.

The Associated Press reported that the contest remained undecided, with a substantial number of ballots still outstanding. Meanwhile, The Hill projected Raman to become the next mayor of Los Angeles after ousting embattled Mayor Karen Bass after one term, according to Decision Desk HQ.

The campaign has been shaped partly by criticism of Bass’s handling of the January 2025 Palisades fire, which devastated neighborhoods and displaced thousands of residents.

Bass was in Ghana when the disaster began despite warnings of dangerous fire conditions. She later acknowledged that making the trip was a mistake.

Her administration also faced questions about emergency preparedness and the handling of an after-action report examining the fire response.

As the Associated Press reported, Raman has challenged Bass over disaster response, homelessness, public safety and declining city services.

Bass has defended her record, emphasizing her administration’s work on homelessness, recovery and public safety.

The eventual winner will lead Los Angeles as preparations accelerate for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Gloria Gray Leads James Butts by 758 Votes in Inglewood

Inglewood’s latest independently located published tally shows Gray with 5,539 votes, or 34.6%, compared with 4,781 votes, or 29.8%, for Butts.

Fre’Drisha “Sha” Dixon is third with 2,490 votes, or 15.5%. The figures reflect 16,029 votes counted in the city’s mayoral primary nominating election.

The published election breakdown shows Gray ahead by 758 votes, although additional ballots remain to be counted.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates advance to a runoff election.

Butts, mayor since 2011, has overseen major developments including SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome. Supporters credit him with transforming Inglewood into a major sports and entertainment destination.

Critics, however, have raised questions about city finances, development priorities and whether longtime residents are benefiting from that transformation.

The election also follows allegations involving an 18-year-old Inglewood High School student.

The student alleges that Butts touched her inappropriately during a September 15 voter-registration event at City Hall. Her attorney subsequently filed a government claim.

Butts has denied wrongdoing, describing the allegations as politically motivated.

In an exclusive EURweb interview, Butts addressed the controversy and rejected accusations of inappropriate conduct.

EURweb also published activist Najee Ali’s response, including his demand for an independent investigation.

The allegations remain disputed, and no evidence presented here establishes how they affected the election results.

Both Butts and Gray have publicly indicated they are prepared for a runoff.

More Ballots Remain to Be Counted

As of this publication, neither mayoral contest has an officially declared winner.

The Los Angeles percentages cited above reflect the November 4, 4:28 p.m. update. The Inglewood totals reflect the latest published tally independently located for this report; its exact release time has not been established.

The Los Angeles County Registrar is processing ballots around the clock through November 6, with multiple results updates expected.

Voters can follow the changing totals through the official Los Angeles County election results portal.

For now, Raman leads in Los Angeles, Gray leads in Inglewood, and both incumbent mayors face an uncertain wait as ballot counting continues.

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MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Black LA Leaders Put Bass and Raman on Notice Ahead of Election

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