The Real Tea on the LA Mayor's Race
LA politics is lowkey a mess right now, and even the city council is feeling the burnout. At a Pacific Palisades town hall on Wednesday, Councilwoman Traci Park dropped a bombshell: she is voting for Karen Bass, but she isn't endorsing her. Real talk, it sounds like she’s pretty conflicted.
“I’m not endorsing Karen Bass, but I am voting for Karen Bass,” Park admitted, acknowledging that it’s a “very, very tough ask” for some of her constituents.
Why the drama?
Park didn't hold back on why she's voting for the incumbent. She’s highkey worried about the city’s direction, specifically regarding challenger Nithya Raman. Park went in on Raman’s record, claiming, “This is someone that has been very clear that she wants to defund and abolish our police.” She also accused Raman of being part of a group that refuses to prosecute misdemeanors in the city.
This follows a super tense debate between Bass and Raman in Universal City. During that event, Raman refused to commit to a timeline for replacing LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell before the 2028 Olympics. Bass didn’t waste the opportunity to call her rival out as unprepared to lead the nation’s second-largest city.
Things got weird
If you thought the debate drama was peak, wait until you hear Raman’s post-game interview. When asked about the event, she told NBC4, “I’m so sorry but I was in fugue state and I don’t remember very much of it at all.”
Meanwhile, Bass is dealing with her own L. She’s currently facing a defamation lawsuit from former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, whom Bass ousted after the deadly Palisades Fire. Crowley’s lawyer, Mia Munro, is pushing to get Bass under oath to answer for statements she made during a May debate.
Why it matters
This race is giving major anxiety to LA voters and officials alike. With public safety, leadership, and legal battles all in the mix, the future of the city is feeling pretty uncertain. For you, it means your vote is more of a strategic call than ever.
