Mayor Bass Gets Big‑Name Support in Los Angeles Race

Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced her backing for Karen Bass, the current mayor of Los Angeles, as she seeks another term. Harris praised Bass for tackling major city problems: a historic drop in homelessness, crime rates that are lower than they’ve been since the 1960s, and standing up to federal pressure on local matters. She said she fully supports Bass’s reelection bid. The endorsement arrives just as voters are receiving ballots in California. Polls show Bass leading, yet many residents feel she hasn’t shown enough leadership after the Palisades fire. In a March survey by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, about 25 % of voters favored Bass. Other contenders—Councilmember Nithya Raman with 17 % and reality‑TV personality Spencer Pratt at 14 %—also drew support, while a quarter of respondents were still undecided.Although Bass is ahead in the polls, some analysts worry that a large portion of voters (56 %) view her unfavorably. Pratt and Raman have out‑raised Bass this year, yet the mayor still holds a substantial war chest of nearly $2. 3 million, built up over two years of fundraising. Harris and Bass share a long history. Both were once considered as running mates for President Joe Biden in 2020, and they have worked together on issues such as youth homelessness and child welfare. Harris even swore in Bass as mayor back in 2022. Beyond the mayor’s race, Harris also threw her support behind Rob Bonta for state attorney general, Malia Cohen for state controller, and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis for state treasurer.