Mayor Karen Bass Shared — Then Deleted — A Fake Poll Claiming a Nearly 12-Point Lead Over Nithya Raman

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass briefly shared a social-media post promoting a poll that showed her leading councilmember Nithya Raman by nearly 12 percentage points, then deleted the post after the survey was revealed to be fabricated. The poll was produced by a group calling itself Median Strategies, which later acknowledged the effort was a "short term social experiment" intended to demonstrate how unverified polling can spread through the political information ecosystem.

What Happened

Median Strategies published results it attributed to a survey of 560 Angelenos conducted between July 30 and Aug. 5. The organization later said the poll was not genuine and described the project as a deliberate experiment into how purported polling information can circulate without independent verification.

Median Strategies: "Median Strategies was created as a short term social experiment to examine how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification." — statement first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Unusual Findings and Questions

The mock poll included several improbable findings that drew scrutiny. It claimed 16% of respondents said they voted for reality-TV personality Spencer Pratt in the primary and that about 85% of those respondents planned to back Bass in the general election while roughly 7% would support Raman. Median Strategies gave no independent verification of its methods or respondent recruitment beyond the brief statement about sample size and dates.

Responses From Campaigns and Media

Several outlets and public figures initially treated the poll as legitimate when it circulated last week — including Bass. Using her campaign account on X, the mayor posted a now-deleted message referencing Median Strategies and celebrating the apparent momentum: "Doing the work, showing up and gaining momentum. Let's do this, LA!"

After the group disclosed the poll was fabricated, a Bass campaign spokesperson told TheWrap that the poll had been "reported on by a news outlet" and said, "Any bad faith attempts to influence elections should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Raman's office criticized Bass for sharing unvetted information. A spokesperson told TheWrap the mayor's campaign "promoted a fake poll without properly vetting the source," calling the episode part of a pattern of administrative missteps and urging that voters deserve accurate information from elected officials.

Median Strategies' Statement And Website

Attempts to learn more about Median Strategies were limited. Representatives did not respond to additional inquiries from TheWrap about the group's origins or mission. Financial disclosures posted on the project's website stated that no individual involved received compensation and that the experiment was not funded, commissioned, or directed by any candidate, campaign, political party, PAC, media outlet, or other outside actor.

The Median Strategies website now states the polling project has concluded and that no further polls will be published. It also warns that previously released polling materials should not be cited or treated as genuine data.

Why This Matters

The episode highlights how quickly unverified surveys can shape political narratives and underscores the need for campaigns, reporters, and the public to verify poll sources, methodology and sponsorship before amplifying results—especially during a high-stakes election season.