Key facts
- Allies of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass are reportedly worried about her reelection campaign's momentum.
- A strategist suggested Bass' campaign should be more aggressive.
- Bass' chief strategist insists the mayor remains ahead with base supporters.
- Challenger Nithya Raman has recently secured endorsements from key unions.
- Raman had minimal support from political power centers earlier in the year.
Allies of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass are reportedly beginning to express concerns about her reelection campaign's momentum, with some strategists suggesting a more aggressive approach is necessary. Rick Taylor, a Los Angeles-based Democratic strategist not working on the campaign, stated that "telling the truth means it will be one of the meanest, nastiest races ever." He advised that Bass' campaign should run a "meanest, nastiest campaigns ever."
Bass' chief strategist, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, dismissed these concerns, characterizing nervous supporters as a normal feature of any campaign. She insisted that the mayor has not experienced a loss of momentum and remains ahead, particularly with her base supporters. Chavez Rodriguez, who replaced Doug Herman as Bass' top strategist in June, stated, "Nothing that we’re seeing right now is really showing any shift in the race. We’ve always known that this was going to be a tight race, and so that’s what we’ve been operating on, and it remains so."
Bass, a former lawmaker once considered a potential vice presidential pick, had previously appeared to be in a strong position. Her 2022 rival, Rick Caruso, opted not to run, and she secured a broad range of endorsements from groups including the city's police union and Democratic Socialists of America-aligned council members. Most of the city's labor unions and a newly active business community also backed her, along with establishment figures like Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris.
In contrast, Raman initially had minimal support from the city's political power centers, lacking backing from major labor groups or her City Council colleagues. However, in the past month, Raman has gained significant traction, securing endorsements from the carpenters union, which switched its support from Bass, and the hospitality workers' Unite Here Local 11. A third Bass ally described these endorsements as surprising, noting that "Those are serious unions with people and money."