Kamala Harris endorses Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as race for reelection heats up
Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for reelection on Monday, as the race to lead the city has ramped up in recent days.
In a statement, Harris cited several hot-button issues of the race ahead of the June 2 election, including homelessness and crime.
"Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now," Harris said. "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."
"She has my full support for re-election," Harris, who served as U.S. Senator from California from 2017 to 2021, added.
In her own statement, Bass thanked her longtime ally for the endorsement. Then-Vice President Harris swore Bass into office in 2022.
"I am deeply honored to have the support of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has spent her career fighting for the people of Los Angeles and our country," Bass said. "Her endorsement is a reflection of what we're building together: a Los Angeles that is safer, more affordable, and unafraid to fight for its values."
The endorsement comes as the three prominent candidates, including reality TV star Spencer Pratt and LA Council Member Nithya Raman, vie for voters' attention with less than one month to go before June 2. If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote, the election will head to a runoff in November.
Harris' endorsement is the most high-profile to come of the race thus far. Bass has maintained support from the Democratic establishment, including endorsements from Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and nine other sitting LA council members, according to her campaign website.
Pratt hasn't outright declared himself as the conservative candidate in a race he's described as nonpartisan, but he's collected support from the right as it has progressed. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who himself was endorsed by President Trump, said he's with Pratt "all the way" in the race.
Podcaster Joe Rogan, a former LA resident who himself endorsed Trump in 2024, said he'd vote for Pratt if he still lived in the Southland. While Elon Musk hasn't formally offered an endorsement, he's reposted Pratt's campaign ads in recent days.
Raman's support has primarily come from advocacy groups like Streets For All, The Prohousing Democratic Caucus of California and Abundant Housing LA. The LA chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Raman is a member, declined to endorse her, saying "any future endorsements will only be considered if motivated by a petition and approved if voted on by the chapter's membership."