Watching the results of the LA mayoral election, the first thought that came to my mind was one thing.

I... knew this would happen.

As of the early morning of November 4th, Nithya Raman received 377,458 votes, while current mayor Karen Bass received 360,864 votes.

Although the election has not yet been officially decided, the fact that an incumbent mayor is struggling this much in a reelection speaks volumes.

What I've been feeling while living in LA these days is that it has truly become a difficult city to live in.

Of course, LA is still an attractive city. The weather is nice, the ocean is nearby, and the food is diverse.

However, for those living here, paying rent and utility bills, the story is different.

Let's first talk about the homelessness issue.

How many years has it been?

The city announces that it has allocated a budget and moved homeless people to temporary housing. But

how much change do ordinary citizens feel on the streets?

Tents have disappeared only to reappear, and people living on the streets are still visible.

The homelessness issue is not just about street cleaning. It is intertwined with mental illness, substance abuse, housing shortages, and job issues.

I understand it's a difficult problem.

But just because it's difficult doesn't mean we can keep asking for more time, right?

The wildfire issue is similar.

After experiencing the Palisades fire in 2025, LA citizens felt deeply how important disaster response is.

Of course, we cannot place all the blame for the wildfires on one person, the mayor. There were weather conditions, and it was a complex issue involving multiple agencies.

However, the position of mayor is one that must instill trust in citizens during such crises.

When a disaster occurs, what citizens want to know is who is responsible, what preparations were made, and what will change next time.

However, it is questionable whether citizens' anxieties and distrust have been sufficiently alleviated.

Moving on to the cost of living issue, it's even more frustrating.

Utility bills are burdensome, and rent is still high.

For an ordinary person working and receiving a paycheck, LA is becoming an increasingly difficult city to endure.

Of course, the mayor cannot arbitrarily decide utility rates and rental prices.

But increasing housing supply, improving permitting processes, and managing city operating costs efficiently are important tasks for the city government.

Citizens expect such practical changes.

We cannot overlook the issue of schools either.

Public schools in the LA area have been facing declining student enrollment for a long time.

There are various reasons for the decrease in children, but it's hard to ignore the reality that young families are moving to other areas due to high housing costs.

I often hear stories of people moving to Texas, Nevada, or Arizona from my surroundings.

They compare housing prices and living costs and decide to leave LA.

If people are leaving the city and the number of children attending schools is decreasing, that's not just a demographic issue.

It could be a signal that the future of the city is at stake.

That's why I think managing a politician's image is really difficult.

The mayor holds press conferences, attends events, and announces new policies.

Taking photos and promoting achievements is also part of a politician's job.

However, the utility bills and rent invoices that citizens receive every month are different from promotional materials.

Politicians explain what they have done, but citizens evaluate based on how much their lives have improved.

The fact that Raman is leading in this election could be a reflection of those frustrations showing up in the votes.

However, I don't expect that all problems will be solved if Raman becomes mayor.

Raman is also a politician who has served as a city council member in LA. She is not completely free from the issues the city government has faced so far.

Whoever is elected must show concrete results regarding homelessness, housing supply, disaster response, and the burden of living costs.

I'm not saying this because I dislike LA.

On the contrary, I feel frustrated because it's a city I want to live in for a long time.

I know that Mayor Karen Bass has pushed various policies over the past four years.

However, if those results have not been sufficiently felt in citizens' daily lives, it is only natural that she would be evaluated in this election.

I'm really curious. How much longer will LA citizens have to wait?