Lopez: Why a third of L.A. voters remain undecided in the mayoral race

# The poll, and what the undecided vote means

# What voters want that they aren't getting Lopez says most L.A. voters care less about labels like socialist or moderate and more about who can fix tangible problems. He lists the big-ticket items and the basics: homelessness and housing, yes, but also sidewalks, parks and city cleanliness. The piece emphasizes that leadership requires both long-range vision and a capacity to manage everyday municipal tasks.

# Concrete examples of municipal neglect Lopez reports on on-the-ground observations around downtown and other parts of the city to illustrate the problem:

• The L.A. Mall: largely abandoned, with broken planters and weeds at street level.

• RFK Memorial near the 1968 assassination site: remains fenced-off, covered in graffiti and overgrown vines covering tributes.

These examples are presented to show the visible, day-to-day failures that shape voters' impressions of City Hall's competence.

# What Lopez says candidates should do Lopez rejects the idea that Bass should simply amplify negative attacks. Instead, he calls on both candidates to be bolder and more creative in offering solutions. He wants to hear specific plans that haven't been repeated in campaign cycles: operational fixes for broken public spaces, clear strategies tying housing policy to street-level outcomes, and practical approaches to abandoned properties and fire hazards.

# What voters are weighing right now

# The political math and the path forward With Bass's higher unfavorability ratings, Lopez notes it will be difficult for her to win over enough undecided voters without a substantive shift. Raman, while leading in the poll, has not convinced a majority yet. The column frames the undecided electorate as pragmatic: they want evidence of competence and concrete commitments between now and Nov. 3.

# Bottom line The undecided share in the poll is large because many voters judge candidates by visible municipal performance. Lopez's prescription is straightforward: stop trading partisan barbs and start offering detailed, credible plans that address the neglected public places and everyday failures shaping voters' choices.