This post was updated Nov. 1 at 10:35 p.m.
UCLA students are looking for the next Los Angeles mayor to address housing affordability, improve public transportation and enforce greater protections for immigrants.
Incumbent Karen Bass and District 4 City Councilmember Nithya Raman are vying to become LA’s mayor in the midterm elections. Bass received 34% of the vote in the nonpartisan primary election and is the first incumbent in decades to face a runoff election to remain in office. Raman, a former ally of Bass who entered the race hours before the filing deadline, received 29% of the primary vote.
[Related: LA mayor candidates Karen Bass, Nithya Raman advance to general election]
Jack Feng, the external vice president of the Graduate Student Association, said the GSA has an established relationship with Bass, whereas Raman does not have the same connections. He added that Bass has supported the association’s efforts to push back against the closure of UCLA’s childcare centers and establish safeguards against United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence in LA.
Bass and Raman have condemned the closure of UCLA’s childcare facilities and pledged to implement stronger protections against immigration enforcement.
“Whoever is elected, we’re going to work with,” Feng said. “If Nithya Raman wins, yes, we’re going to start building a relationship, keep advocating for all these priorities we’ve already established and continue to explore avenues of collaboration, with a potential mayor like Nithya Raman. But if Mayor Bass is going to be elected for a second term, yes, we’re going to continue to build on that progress.”
Rida Qadeer, a graduate student in the School of Theater, Film and Television, said students should look at Bass and Raman’s past records – including the policies they have advocated for, the organizations they align themselves with and how well they keep promises – when deciding which candidate will best serve their needs.
Bass’ endorsements include Gov. Gavin Newsom, the LA County Democratic Party and the California Nurses Association. Raman is endorsed by the LA chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the California Working Families Party and Streets for All, a transportation advocacy group.
Jake Yelvington, a fourth-year public affairs student who canvasses for Raman, said he believes Bass has been unsuccessful in addressing homelessness and combatting heightened immigration enforcement activity in the city.
During Bass’ term, the Trump administration ordered immigration enforcement officers to conduct large-scale raids in LA in June 2025, resulting in more than 14,000 detainments that year, according to LAist. The raids have since slowed down.
Yelvington added that Raman’s stronger proposals on zoning laws – including her platform to expand where high-density housing can be built – would better tackle homelessness issues.
The mayor should work to address high costs of living, a lack of access to housing and job market competition to ensure students can afford to stay in LA after graduation, Qadeer said.
“Politics is something that affects every single person, whether you want to believe it or not,” she said. “Vote with purpose. Your voice still matters, even if you think it doesn’t.”
Students can vote in the Nov. 3 midterm elections at multiple locations on campus or in Westwood, including Ackerman Union, De Neve Plaza and the Hammer Museum.
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