Kamala Harris Endorses LA Mayor Karen Bass for Reelection

Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for reelection. The endorsement came after criticism of Bass's handling of city challenges, including the Palisades Fire.

Los Angeles County lost more residents than any other county in the country from 2020 to 2025. Residents left due to COVID-19 lockdowns, mask mandates, curfews, business restrictions, capacity limits, prolonged school closures, expanding homelessness, and high living costs.

The Palisades Fire damaged the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The blaze extended from a fire allegedly started by an arsonist. A local reservoir stood empty because of delayed maintenance. Fire department resources were not positioned ahead of predicted high winds after dry conditions. Of 13 scheduled high-priority fire flow and water storage projects in the area, 12 remained unfinished before January 2025. Twenty percent of hydrants failed during firefighting.

Bass was in Ghana at the time. She later faced accusations of watering down the after-action report on the fire.

Harris issued a statement supporting Bass over candidates Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman. "Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now. She has done what so many said couldn’t be done — the first-ever two-year decline in homelessness, reducing crime to levels this city hasn’t seen since the 1960s, and refusing to back down when the federal government came after our neighbors," Harris said.

Bass opposed federal immigration enforcement efforts. Crime rates have fallen in Los Angeles and other major cities.