By Stephen Witt
Now that Rick Caruso has decided—for the 50th time—not to run for mayor, it’s time to give Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass some well-deserved credit as head of the nation’s second-largest city.
Has Bass been perfect? No, but she’s done a decent job. There are some fiscal oversight concerns, but murder and overall crime are down, as is the homeless count. Potholes are being filled, and garbage is being picked up in a timely manner—all key functions for a big-city mayor.
Bass also has political grit. Like the Energizer Bunny, she can take a licking and keep on ticking—giving as good as she gets, even as local media slam her at every opportunity over the wildfires.
The criticism began with the claim that Bass was out of the country when the fires ignited, which was overblown from the start. The mayor was in Ghana for a sister-city partnership—representing Los Angeles on foreign trips, especially with the World Cup and the Olympics approaching, is part of her job description. She had no way of knowing a fire would erupt, and as soon as she heard the news, she was on the first plane home.
The same goes for continuous reports that Bass has manipulated post-fire response assessments. The purpose of these reports isn’t to assign blame but to identify what went wrong and develop mitigation measures to prevent a recurrence. Period.
With Austin Beutner also dropping out, Bass emerges as a clear frontrunner in the mayoral race. Still, you can never sleep on nonprofit-based progressive candidates like Rae Chen Huang. These activists represent the tail wagging the dog in the Democratic Party and have unseated several mainstream councilmembers in recent elections.
That said, Huang has only $84,500 left in her campaign war chest compared to Bass’s $1.5 million, according to the City Ethics Commission. That’s a significant gap to overcome—even with the city’s 6-to-1 matching funds.
Competitive Council Races to Watch
Several City Council races promise to be competitive in 2026, shaping the political landscape Bass will work with in her potential second term.
District 11 (Westside—Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Venice, Mar Vista)
This race leads all City Council contests in fundraising, with over $1.3 million raised collectively. Incumbent Traci Park has amassed $1,051,069 with $817,881 cash on hand, making her the top fundraiser citywide. Challenger Faizah Malik has raised $274,424 with $155,339 remaining. The race has attracted independent expenditures on both sides, making this the most expensive council race of the cycle.
District 3 (West Valley—Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Reseda, Winnetka, Canoga Park)
Insurance entrepreneur Tim Gaspar leads this open-seat race with $357,662 raised and $199,008 cash on hand. Community leader and Lindsey Horvath staffer Barri Worth Girvan has proven competitive with $200,071 raised and $98,878 remaining. The race also includes Jon Rawlings ($39,065 raised) and Christopher Celona ($2,000 raised), with nearly $600,000 raised collectively to replace termed-out Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.
District 1 (Northeast/Downtown LA—Highland Park, Boyle Heights, Chinatown, Echo Park, Koreatown)
Democratic Socialist Eunisses Hernandez leads a crowded field with $213,727 raised, $90,171 cash on hand, and $51,000 in matching funds. Her most formidable challenger is Maria Lou Calanche, who has raised $134,711 with $97,426 on hand. Also running: Sylvia Robledo ($67,345 raised), Raul Claros ($60,813 raised), and Nelson Grande ($38,119 raised). With more than half a million dollars raised across all candidates, this ideologically charged contest tests whether Hernandez’s progressive policies can withstand a well-funded, multi-candidate challenge.
