Karen Bass, Rick Caruso make final campaign push in tight race to be LA's next mayor
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With just one day before voters head to the polls, the candidates in one of the biggest races in Southern California made their final campaign pushes.
Los Angeles mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Rick Caruso hit the campaign trail Monday, pushing to get the votes in what's been a tight race.
Bass was in Los Angeles to attend a Get Out The Vote student rally at UCLA, which was headlined by Vice President Kamala Harris.
"I'm back in L.A., because I do love L.A.," Harris told the crowd. "And I know Karen Bass. I've worked with Karen Bass. When I was in Sacramento and she was in Sacramento, I saw how she would tirelessly fight for the people of this region, the people of our state and the people of our nation. Karen Bass has a long history of always being on the side of people, fighting for the people."
Bass also spoke to the crowd, urging them to vote and to encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same.
"So what I need you to do is call, text, email, direct message all your friends to tell them you don't even have to leave your house," she said. "You can just put that ballot in the mail. ... We need to have all of that vote in because it is time for a new L.A. It is time for a new direction in our city."
Meanwhile, Caruso campaigned in the San Fernando Valley, meeting voters in Studio City and then Valley Glen.
He said this election is all about change, and the only way to achieve that is by electing someone from outside the political system.
"The fuel of my campaign is actually the people of the city, not flying in elected officials from all around the country," Caruso told reporters. "And Washington isn't going to solve the problems in L.A."
On Sunday, both the candidates canvassed the city and met with their supporters. Both candidates explained to voters how they'll make Los Angeles better and tackle problems that its residents care about.
Caruso's focus was on Latino voters and first responders with stops in Sylmar and West Hills. He zoned in on issues such as homelessness, crime and corruption.
"The momentum is behind us. I'm ready to go," he said.
Bass spent the weekend on a double decker bus making stops in Koreatown, Sherman Oaks, Mar Vista and Baldwin Hills.
"I know that we can have a Los Angeles that houses everyone, that feeds everyone, that educates everyone, and I know that the only way we can do that is to do that together," Bass said.
According to the latest poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, among likely voters, Bass has 45% of the vote while Caruso trails close behind at 41%. That's within the margin of error and 13% of people also say they are still undecided.
Because of those numbers, it's possible L.A. residents won't have a clear winner declared by Tuesday night. If Bass wins, she would be the first woman and only the second Black person to hold the top job at City Hall.
