Billionaire Rick Caruso has small lead over Karen Bass as race for LA mayor still too close to call

Billionaire businessman Rick Caruso holds a slight lead over Representative Karen Bass in a race to decide who will be the next mayor of Los Angeles that remains too close to call.

Officials say that Mr Caruso, a Republican-turned-Democrat who developed The Grove retail and entertainment complex, leads Ms Bass by 51.25 per cent of the vote to 48.75 per cent.

In a statement on Wednesday, the LA County Registrar’s Office says that it has processed 1,318,093 million ballots so far but the next dump of vote numbers will not be made public until Friday.

Early results in the race included only early vote-by-mail ballots cast before Election Day, and the second batch was from vote centre ballots cast before Election Day.

Ms Bass is a six-term member of Congress and is trying to become the first woman and only second Black leader of the city.

“We will win because we’re going to build a new Los Angeles,” Ms Bass said on election night. “Together, we want to have a City Hall that serves all the people.

“We want a City Hall that’s not just the City Hall for the powerful, not just the City Hall for the wealthy, but a City Hall that is for everyone so that we can have the quality of life that I know that we deserve.”

During the June primary, Mr Caruso leapt out to a five per cent lead, before Ms Bass eventually sealed him in and won by seven per cent.

Mr Caruso paid tribute to the people had met in the city during the campaign at

“They believe that life can be different, that it can be better. They believe that Los Angeles is where dreams come true, just like my grandparents when they came here,” he said.

“We have dreams of a better life to make come true for so many. And I come here tonight in full anticipation and excitement about what is to come and what we can do together.”