Newsom backs Bass for reelection in tight Los Angeles mayoral race

Gavin Newsom backed Karen Bass for reelection on Thursday, giving the Los Angeles mayor a major boost just days before Tuesday’s primary and turning the race into a test of Bass’s record on homelessness, crime and the city’s economy. The endorsement arrives in a crowded contest with 13 challengers, where the city’s nonpartisan rules mean the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff on Nov. 3.

The timing matters because the race appears tight enough that even a sitting governor’s support may not settle it. A recent UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll put Bass at 26% among likely voters, just ahead of Councilmember Nithya Raman at 25% and former “The Hills” reality TV star Spencer Pratt at 22%. Another Emerson College Polling and Inside California Politics survey found Bass at 30%, up from 20% in March, while Pratt continued to gain ground.

Newsom said his support reflects the working relationship he and Bass have built around reducing homelessness, lowering crime and supporting Los Angeles’ film industry. The endorsement also extends a string of high-profile backing Bass has already amassed, including former Vice President Kamala Harris in early May and actor-activist Jane Fonda on Thursday. The California IATSE Council has also lined up behind Bass, saying she has been fighting for film and television workers her whole career.

For Bass, the endorsement is an early referendum on whether voters see measurable progress or unfinished business. She has faced sustained criticism over homelessness, wildfire recovery and a city budget deficit described as nearly $1 billion, pressure points that have shaped the campaign as much as any policy promise. Newsom’s move effectively ties him to Bass’s governing record at a moment when Los Angeles voters are being asked to judge whether her administration has delivered enough.

Bass has tried to broaden the race beyond crisis management, pitching herself on affordability, infrastructure, public safety and wildfire recovery while pointing to the city’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Her allies argue that Los Angeles needs continuity to manage those demands; her rivals are betting that residents want a reset. Newsom’s endorsement makes that choice harder to avoid, and it raises the stakes of a primary that could decide whether Bass keeps City Hall or faces a runoff battle this fall.