LA Is 3 Weeks Away From Nominating Its Mayor, Here Are Important Updates

Twelve mayoral candidates will appear on the Los Angeles primary ballot on June 7.

Unless one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two choices among voters will square off in a November general election. Vote by mail ballots started being sent out on May 9 and even earlier for those voting overseas. Los Angeles residents can register to vote here before May 23. 

With three weeks to go, the latest polling shows Rep. Karen Bass and developer Rick Caruso at a virtual tie. The urgency of this moment is being recognized by candidates in different ways.

Councilmember Joe Buscaino dropped out of the race last week and endorsed Caruso. The endorsement comes as no surprise, given Buscaino’s history as an LAPD officer and Caruso’s plan to prioritize the use of law enforcement on the unhoused population.

City attorney Mike Feuer dropped out this week and endorsed Bass. “Karen is a great listener, treats everyone with respect, has values and is less focused on who gets the credit than about accomplishing big things,” said Feuer at a rally Tuesday morning for Bass.

Caruso’s favorability can be linked to how well he has been able to tap into the psyche of frustrated voters looking for a radical switch up, to what he deems the unproductive career politician. Another key factor to his success can be found in the $23 million he has poured into his campaign.

Bass, on the other hand, has made it to the top through her coalition building across the city, which has garnered her the most endorsements out of anyone in the race. Her campaign, in comparison, has spent close to $800,000 so far this year. 

Both candidates have had to endure attack ads from independent expenditure committees looking out for their opponents’ interest.

Caruso was recently hit with an ad highlighting his past support of the Republican National Committee and anti-choice politicians like Mitch McConnell. Bass was targeted by the LAPD union recently over what her campaign is calling a defamatory attack. The ad makes her out to be a corrupt politician for accepting a scholarship from USC while in Congress. It’s been proven she is not liable for any wrongdoing and her campaign is calling for the ad to be removed for its inaccurate and racist portrayal.

At this point in the race, it will be a difficult task for any other candidate to surpass either Caruso or Bass, though strong efforts are still being made.

Candidate Craig Grewie revealed on Monday that he took a polygraph test to showcase his integrity for the job, calling on his opponents to do the same. Along with a new mayor, Angelinos will get the chance to vote for a new city attorney and city controller on June 7.