Karen Bass Deploys Blooper Reel to Undermine Nithya Raman on Election Day

The Los Angeles mayoral race just hit its ugliest moment yet. On election day, incumbent Karen Bass dropped a blooper reel targeting challenger Nithya Raman. The video compiled Raman's worst gaffes, aiming to deliver a final blow before voters cast their ballots.

Bass and Raman are the two Democrats who survived the city's jungle primary, both outpacing Spencer Pratt in that earlier showdown. Now they face off for the top spot in one of America's largest cities. Bass framed the release as a warning about Raman's readiness for office.

"Throughout this campaign, Nithya has shown that she is not ready to lead a city as big and complex as Los Angeles," Bass wrote. It was a direct shot across the bow, designed to stick right when it matters most. The strategy leans on Raman's consistent slip-ups, painting her as unprepared for the chaos of leading such a sprawling metropolis.

Karen Bass tried to deliver a knockout blow to Nithya Raman’s insurgent mayoral campaign on election day. The incumbent released a series of clips highlighting what she called blunders by the councilmember while campaigning for Los Angeles leadership.

The video featured multiple interviews and debate segments where Raman struggled to answer questions coherently. One prompt that left her speechless was simple: "Name a police chief you admire." In a shocking admission, Raman claimed she was in a "fugue state" during the debate and could not remember what had happened.

The clip also caught Raman appearing to suggest that both Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell were "fascist liars." Raman has defended herself by saying she was actually referring to Donald Trump and ICE agents.

Bass hammered home another point, noting that Raman backed a policy of ex-Police Chief Daryl Gates. This is a stark contradiction, given that Raman herself has labeled Gates as "abhorrent and racist." Gates was disgraced for his slow handling of the destructive Rodney King riots in 1992, an incident that ultimately ended in his resignation. Raman quickly did an about-face, calling her reference to Gates a "mistake" and claiming she had "fumbled" her point. That gaffe frustrated both progressives and conservatives.

"I’m ready to keep building on our progress and delivering for every Angeleno," Bass added at the end of the video.

The race has been anything but predictable. Democrats Bass and Raman are facing off after late-counted votes moved Raman past Spencer Pratt in the city's jungle primary. Raman launched her candidacy just hours before the filing deadline in February. She had even endorsed Bass for re-election weeks prior. Bass herself called Raman's challenge a "surprise" at the time. But Raman surged after defeating former reality TV star Pratt in the primary election in June, forcing a runoff.

Polls show Raman has overcome a double-digit deficit to pull into a neck-and-neck matchup. A poll last week from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the LA Times found both candidates tied at 40 percent support each. Another poll in September from the LA Times gave Raman a surprising 11-point lead over Bass. Most analysts anticipate a tight election when voters head to the ballot box on November 3.

Facing the prospect of being kicked out of office, Bass warned on Sunday that Raman would plunge Los Angeles into anarchy if elected. She told supporters that Raman would drive LAPD officers out of the city and trigger federal authorities to meddle in the hosting of the 2028 Olympics.

"I think four years under Nithya Raman would present a tremendous amount of chaos," Bass told the California Post when she voted alongside her family.

Bass has been accused by primary opponent Spencer Pratt of failing Los Angeles on many hot topics, including wildfires, homelessness, public safety, and basic services. She warned that Raman's tenure would be "chaos from day one," arguing that the socialist's agenda would upend the city's safety and policing. The incumbent cited Raman's campaign promise to fire LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell if elected. Bass said this would cause a wave of officers to follow him out of the department.

"I don’t think she has a clue what it takes to get a police chief for the nation’s second-largest city," Bass said. "The minute she would initiate that, you will have officers leaving the department, and confusion sets in anytime they’re gonna sit around and wait to see who is going to lead them."

Raman has defended her stance in the past, saying she was backing Special Order 40, which prohibits LAPD officers from using immigration status to initiate investigations. "Angelenos deserve a mayor with a clear vision, a proven plan, and the experience to deliver results," one candidate argued. The Daily Mail has reached out to Raman's campaign for comment.