LA Mayor Karen Bass launches re-election marketing campaign with DTLA rally

By JOSE HERRERA

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass formally started her marketing campaign for re-election Saturday with a rally in downtown Los Angeles, promising to make the town safer and extra inexpensive whereas positioning herself as a candidate who will tackle the Trump administration.

Two days after the third anniversary of her swearing in, Bass launched her marketing campaign surrounded by household, buddies and allies on the Los Angeles Commerce-Technical Faculty Culinary Arts occasion area.

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a rally to announce her re-election marketing campaign at Los Angeles Commerce Technical Faculty on Dec. 13, 2025, in downtown LA. (Picture by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

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“That is simply overwhelming. I’ve to inform you my coronary heart is so full,” she mentioned. “That is so highly effective and means a lot to me as a result of this has been a hell of a yr.

“They are saying we will’t come collectively. Labor can’t come along with enterprise, and enterprise can’t come along with neighborhood, and the religion neighborhood can’t come collectively. However all of us come collectively at all times,” Bass added. “And I’m proud to say that the relationships on this room aren’t relationships due to the marketing campaign … They’re relationships as a result of all of us imagine in justice.”

Whereas circuitously naming President Donald Trump, Bass’ speech centered on her capacity to face up in opposition to the Trump administration, noting “Who would have imagined that we must defend ourselves from our very authorities?”

Bass recounted the challenges Los Angeles continues to face — the restoration from January’s Palisades fireplace, the continuing housing affordability and homelessness crises, and the federal authorities’s crackdown on unlawful immigration within the metropolis.

The incumbent touted what she described as her accomplishments in addressing affordability by means of her govt order No. 1, which was codified into an ordinance earlier this month by the Metropolis Council to completely streamline inexpensive housing tasks; two-year reductions in road homelessness, partially, because of her signature program Inside Protected, and bringing again enterprise to the downtown space by way of a everlasting al fresco initiative and boosting union jobs.

Bass additionally mentioned the town had made progress in decreasing crime and dealing towards its zero-emissions purpose.

“Town I’ve been in my entire life, the town that I really like, I really feel we’ve completed so much, however we’re not performed,” Bass mentioned. “Till each Palisadian is again house. I cannot relaxation till LA is inexpensive, till one paycheck is sufficient and households don’t need to double up or triple up. And I cannot relaxation till there aren’t any Angelenos on our streets.”

Allies current at Bass’ rally included Metropolis Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, council members Hugo Soto-Martinez, Curren Value, Heather Hutt and Adrin Nazarian, in addition to Meeting members Sade Elhawary, D-South LA, Isaac Bryan, D-LA, Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, Mike Fong, D-Alhambra, state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-South LA, and former state Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Inglewood.

Roxanne Hoge, chair of the Republican Get together of Los Angeles County, provided a distinct view on Bass’ tenure up to now.

“Karen Bass needs to be embarrassed to ask voters to provide her the keys to a automobile she’s run right into a ditch repeatedly,” Hoge mentioned in a press release. “Whether or not it’s watching poor mentally-ill, drug-addicted souls dying on the streets or presiding over corruption and filth within the metropolis of Los Angeles, nothing the present mayor has performed suggests she deserves a second time period in workplace — particularly with the upcoming Olympics and World Cup about to place her dysfunction on the world stage.”

Three folks have formally introduced campaigns in opposition to Bass — Austin Beutner, former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified Faculty District; Rae Huang, a deputy director of Housing Now California; and Asaad Alnajjar, a Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council member and longtime metropolis worker.

Billionaire developer Rick Caruso, who misplaced to Bass within the 2022 basic election, has but to announce whether or not he’ll once more run for mayor or potential run for governor as a substitute.

The election will likely be held June 2. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff will likely be held Nov. 3 among the many prime two finishers.

Beutner has questioned Bass’ document on crime and growth points, and criticized the response to January’s devastating Palisades Fireplace, telling the Los Angeles Instances that the town confirmed a “failure of management” as traditionally robust winds unfold flames by means of the costly coastal enclave, gutting hundreds of houses and companies, and killing 12 folks.

When the hearth broke out, Bass was in Ghana as a part of the four-member presidential delegation attending the inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as president.

A ballot of 5,184 registered voters in Los Angeles County performed Feb. 17-26 by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Research discovered that 30% mentioned Bass did a “very poor job” in responding to the hearth, with one other 14% saying she did a poor job, 18% a good job, 12% an excellent job and 6% a superb job, whereas 20% had no opinion.