LOS ANGELES (AP) — Democratic Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire developer Rick Caruso quickly outflanked a large field of rivals seeking to be Los Angeles’ next mayor and advanced Tuesday to a November runoff election.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Democratic Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire developer Rick Caruso quickly outflanked a large field of rivals seeking to be Los Angeles’ next mayor and advanced Tuesday to a November runoff election.
An initial count of mail-in ballots showed Caruso at 41% and Bass at 38%. A candidate needed to exceed 50% to avoid a second round.
There were a dozen names on the ballot, although several candidates withdrew.
Bass, a favorite of the party’s progressive wing, and Republican-turned-Democrat Caruso easily distanced themselves from the rest of the field. City Councilman Kevin de León, the former leader of the state Senate, came in a distant third with 7%.
Bass, who was on then-president-elect Joe Biden’s shortlist for vice president, would be the first female mayor of Los Angeles and the second black person to hold the office.
The run focused heavily on homelessness and crime. More than 40,000 people live in homeless encampments littered with trash and rusting mobile homes, and widely publicized burglaries and break-ins have unsettled residents.
Caruso, 63, who sits on the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and was endorsed by the police union, has positioned himself as a centrist outsider who opposes the progressive City Hall establishment. He blames Bass, 68, and other longtime incumbents for the expansion of homeless encampments that have spread to virtually every neighborhood and concerns about unsafe streets.
“This is a great night because so many people have gone to the voting booth and sent a message: We are not helpless in the face of our problems,” Caruso said. “We will not allow this city to decline. We will no longer accept excuses.”
His strong performance sends an unpleasant signal to Democrats defending their fragile majorities in Congress and in other races across the country.
The last time the city council swerved to the political right was in 1993, when voters turned to Republican businessman Richard Riordan to run the city after the deadly 1992 riots that erupted after four white police officers were acquitted of assault on the town. beat up blacks motorist Rodney King.
Los Angeles, however, has changed a lot since the days of Riordan. He is more Latino, less white and more solidly a Democrat. Only 13% of registered voters are Republicans.
Caruso’s estimated $4.3 billion fortune allowed him to run a seemingly nonstop display of online and television advertisements. His campaign spending, more than $40 million earlier this week, most of his money, surpassed all other candidates combined.
“It’s hard to beat a people-powered campaign … no matter how much money you spend, and it’s hard to beat people who are committed to a cause, not just one candidate,” Bass said. “We all stood our ground against an avalanche, an avalanche of $45 million to be exact, spent by a billionaire.”
By comparison, Bass’ spending reached $3.3 million, though both campaigns also received ad support from outside groups.
There was competition for celebrity endorsements, as is typical in Los Angeles. Earvin “Magic” Johnson backed up Bass, while Caruso had Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow behind him.
The race took a nasty turn recently.
Ads run by Bass and his allies portray Caruso as a West Coast version of former President Donald Trump, dodging taxes, blowing a “right-wing dog whistle” and lying about Bass’ record.
In the publicity for Caruso and his followers, Bass emerges as an ethically compromised charlatan who missed out on key votes in Congress and has an accused city councilman in his circle of friends.
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Associated Press writer Robert Jablon contributed to this report.
Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press
Reference-www.alaskahighwaynews.ca