Snapshot from Aug 24, 2026 at 07:00 UTC. For live data and tracking: View Live
Events / Political / Fake LA Mayoral Poll Exposed
Domestic polling scandal

Fake LA Mayoral Poll Exposed

Analysis based on 17 articles · First reported Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026

Sentiment
-10
Attention
1
Articles
17
Market Impact
General
Live prominence charts, article sentiment distribution, and event development timeline available on the Ergen Dashboard
Market Impact

The fake poll incident is unlikely to have significant direct market impact, but it may affect public trust in polling firms and media outlets that report on them. It could also influence voter perceptions in the United States — Los Angeles mayoral race, potentially affecting local political dynamics.

polling media politics
Event Summary

Median Strategies, a purported independent polling firm, released a fake poll on August 13, 2026, showing United States — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass leading Council member Nithya Raman by nearly 12 percentage points in the upcoming mayoral runoff. The poll claimed to survey 560 voters and included dubious data about Spencer Pratt voters. On August 17, Median Strategies admitted the poll was a 'short-term social experiment' designed to test how unverified polling information spreads. The company withdrew all its polls and ceased operations. Mayor Bass had promoted the poll on social media before deleting her post. Raman's campaign criticized Bass for failing to vet the source, and City Controller Kenneth Mejia called it a 'push poll.' The incident highlights concerns about misinformation in political polling.

Key Actions
90 Median Strategies withdrew poll
70 Nithya Raman criticized Bass campaign Karen Bass
65 Median Strategies published fake poll
60 Karen Bass promoted fake poll
50 Kenneth Mejia criticized poll Median Strategies
50 Kalshi rose contract price
50 Polymarket traded contracts
Entities Involved
priv
Median Strategies
Median Strategies created and released the fake poll as a social experiment. After being exposed, it withdrew all polls and shut down, facing reputational damage.
Importance 100.0 Sentiment -100.0
per
Karen Bass
Mayor Karen Bass promoted the fake poll on social media, which she later deleted. Her campaign called for investigation of bad-faith attempts to influence elections, but the incident may damage her credibility.
Importance 90.0 Sentiment -20.0
per
Nithya Raman
Council member Nithya Raman was the target of the fake poll, which showed her trailing. Her campaign criticized Bass for promoting the poll without vetting, potentially gaining sympathy.
Importance 80.0 Sentiment 10.0
loc
United States — Los Angeles
The city of United States — Los Angeles is the setting for the mayoral race affected by the fake poll. The incident may influence local election dynamics and public trust.
Importance 70.0 Sentiment -10.0
per
Kenneth Mejia
City Controller Kenneth Mejia criticized the poll as a 'push poll' and endorsed Raman. His prior experience with inaccurate polls may bolster his credibility.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 10.0
per
Spencer Pratt
Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star and mayoral candidate, was referenced in the fake poll as a potential kingmaker. He is not directly involved in the controversy.
Importance 40.0 Sentiment 0.0
polparty
United States — Democratic Socialists of America
The United States — Democratic Socialists of America was mentioned as an affiliation of Raman, but the organization is not directly involved in the event.
Importance 30.0 Sentiment 0.0
per
Francesca Hong
Francesca Hong was the subject of a previous fake poll by Median Strategies, which incorrectly showed her leading. She lost her race, but the incident is peripheral.
Importance 20.0 Sentiment 0.0
loc
United States — Wisconsin
United States — Wisconsin was the location of a previous fake poll by Median Strategies, but it is not directly affected by the main event.
Importance 20.0 Sentiment 0.0
Relationships
Karen Bass mayoral rival ↔ Nithya Raman Karen Bass is the incumbent Los Angeles Mayor, currently engaged in a heated runoff election against Nithya Raman, her p
Karen Bass related ↔ Spencer Pratt
Nithya Raman rival ↔ Spencer Pratt Nithya Raman is a progressive Democratic city councilmember who recently defeated Republican challenger Spencer Pratt in
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