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

Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for reelection connected Monday.

“Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs correct now. She has done what truthful galore said couldn’t beryllium done — the first ever two-year diminution successful homelessness, reducing crime to levels this metropolis hasn’t seen since the 1960s, and refusing to backmost down erstwhile the national authorities came aft our neighbors,” Harris said successful a statement. “She has my afloat support for re-election.”

The endorsement comes arsenic ballots person begun arriving successful Californians’ mailboxes astatine a captious infinitesimal successful the title to lead the nation’s second-largest city. Although Bass leads successful polls, she is viewed unfavorably by galore Angelenos for her perceived deficiency of activity successful the aftermath of the devastating Palisades fire.

A 4th of voters supported Bass successful a March canvass 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 blimpish reality TV prima Spencer Pratt had 14%. A 4th of voters were undecided.

Though Bass led the different salient mayoral candidates, governmental strategists opportunity the numbers are troubling for the incumbent because she is facing disconnected against lesser-known rivals and because 56% viewed her unfavorably. And Pratt and Raman had raised much money than Bass this twelvemonth done April 18, according to fundraising disclosures revenge pinch the city’s Ethics Commission. However, Bass had about $2.3 cardinal successful the slope because she started fundraising for reelection 2 years ago.

Though Bass and Harris were rivals to beryllium selected arsenic statesmanlike nominee Joe Biden’s moving mate successful 2020, the 2 Democrats person known each different for much than 2 decades and person a agelong shared history. Bass was sworn successful by Harris arsenic the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles successful 2022. Two years later, astatine the Democratic National Convention wherever Harris became the party’s statesmanlike nominee, Bass said about moving pinch her much than a decade agone connected youth homelessness and fixing the kid use system erstwhile Bass led the California Assembly and Harris was a authorities prosecutor.

Harris besides endorsed Rob Bonta for reelection arsenic authorities lawyer general, Malia Cohen for reelection arsenic authorities controller and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis for authorities treasurer. Here’s a look astatine those races and the remainder connected the ballot.