Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Karen Bass for reelection as mayor of Los Angeles Monday, citing the incumbent’s record on homelessness and housing and public safety.
“Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now,” Harris said in a statement. “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 said, who previously served as California Senator from 2017 to 2021.
Bass has received endorsements from Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and nine City Council members.
Bass said she was “deeply honored” for the support from Harris, who swore her into office in 2022.
“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,” Bass said in her statement.
The incumbent is seeking a second term as leader of the second largest city in the nation.
The mayor faces several challengers ahead of the June 2 election. If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will head to a runoff in November.
Among the most prominent challengers, Democratic candidates City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, housing advocate Rae Chen Huang, and tech entrepreneur Adam Miller are pressuring Bass from the left. Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who has not declared himself as the conservative candidate, has received support from Republicans and other politically aligned residents who have criticized Bass for what they say are her failures running the city.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, has endorsed Pratt. Pratt also received an endorsement from podcaster Joe Rogan, a former LA resident who previously endorsed Trump in 2024.
Raman has received endorsements from organizations such as Streets For All, The Prohousing Democratic Caucus of California, and Abundant Housing LA, among others. Raman — who was elected as a member of City Council with support from the LA chapter of the Democratic Socialist of America — was not endorsed by DSA.