December 14, 2025
Karen Bass, L.A.’s First Black-Woman Mayor, Announces Re-election Bid
Bass opened the 2026 mayoral contest with a rally in downtown Los Angeles.
On Dec. 13, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass officially launched her campaign for re-election. Bass opened the 2026 mayoral contest with a rally in downtown Los Angeles.
The first Black-woman mayor outlined goals for affordability, safety, and continued opposition to federal policy. Her announcement came at the Trade-Technical College Culinary Arts event space, surrounded by supporters that included city officials and allied legislators.
The mayor’s current platform addresses the residents who were affected by the wildfires that swept the Palisades, vowing support. She also acknowledges the rising cost of living in Los Angeles. In an X post Bass, addressed challenges including the city’s housing affordability and homelessness crises, recovery from this year’s Palisades wildfires, and federal immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles. Bass said the administration’s efforts on these issues would continue if she wins another term.
“From Northridge to Echo Park, this campaign is about bringing every single part of this city and this region together so that we can solve homelessness, reduce crime. and make Los Angeles more affordable for all.”
Bass, 72, first took office in 2022, becoming Los Angeles’s first woman mayor and the second Black person to hold the city’s top post.
Bass currently faces three opponents. Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner has criticized her record on issues like disaster response. Beutner, a former supporter of Bass, believes the city needs to move in a different direction, The Hill reported.
“I voted for Karen Bass last time. We had hopes, but now even she admits we need a citywide turnaround. I agree, Los Angeles needs change. This isn’t an ordinary time, and I’m not an ordinary candidate,” Beutner said in a video posted to YouTube.
Also running are Rae Huang, a housing advocacy executive, and Asaad Alnajjar, a longtime city employee and neighborhood council member.
The mayoral election is scheduled for June 2, 2026. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held Nov. 3, 2026.
Bass’s campaign launch comes as Los Angeles prepares to host global events, including the 2028 Olympics and FIFA World Cup, milestones that supporters and critics alike say will test the city’s planning and governance.
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