Kamala Harris endorses L.A. Mayor Karen Bass for reelection

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for reelection on Monday.“Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now.

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,” Harris said in a statement.“She has my full support for re-election.” California Karen Bass faces Spencer Pratt, Nithya Raman and more in the L.A.

mayoral race.Here’s where the leading candidates stand on issues like housing, homelessness and public safety.The endorsement comes as ballots have begun arriving in Californians’ mailboxes at a critical moment in the race to lead the nation’s second-largest city.

Although Bass leads in polls, she is viewed unfavorably by many Angelenos for her perceived lack of leadership in the aftermath of the devastating Palisades fire.A quarter of voters supported Bass in a March poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies that was co-sponsored by The Times.

City Councilmember Nithya Raman had the backing of 17%, and conservative reality TV star Spencer Pratt had 14%.A quarter of voters were undecided.Though Bass led the other prominent mayoral candidates, political strategists say the numbers are troubling for the incumbent because she is facing off against lesser-known rivals and because 56% viewed her unfavorably.

And Pratt and Raman had raised more money than Bass this year through April 18, according to fundraising disclosures filed with the city’s Ethics Commission.However, Bass had nearly $2.3 million in the bank because she started fundraising for reelection two years ago.Though Bass and Harris were rivals to be selected as presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020, the two Democrats have ...