What to Know About the Upcoming Mayoral Election

As the Tuesday, June 7 primary election approaches, here it is what you need to know.

What: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is termed out of office in December 2022 after 9 years. The city is holding nonpartisan primary elections to determine the candidates who will go to the general election. The most prominent race is the mayoral races, but other seats on the ballot include city council, county supervisor, and District Attorney. 

Who: The nonpartisan mayoral primary is currently a heated race between two front runners: Career politician and Congresswoman Karen Bass and billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso. Several other candidates are gunning for the position, but have not garnered competitive attention in the polls. 

When: The Statewide Direct Primary election is to be held on June 7. A variety of positions are up for grabs in this primary election, including the much-anticipated L.A. Mayoral seat. The General Election will take place November 8.

Where: Angelenos who are registered in California will be mailed ballots to their home. Ballots can be cast in ballot boxes throughout the city, or voters can submit their ballots by mail simply by placing them in their outgoing mailbox. The city allows for same-day voter registration at select polling places.

Why: Even though this is just a primary election, It is possible for a candidate to win a Los Angeles election outright in the primary if they garner more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate earns 50% of the vote, the two candidates who received the most votes will advance to the general election on November 8. A survey by the Communities United for Bass for LA Mayor 2022 on May 18 showed 37% of likely voters backing Caruso and 35% favoring Bass, out of a field of all potential candidates. However, the polling also accounted for projected results of a head-on-head race between Bass and Caruso. Those results have Bass in the lead with 48% of the votes against Caruso’s 39%.