Los Angeles desperately needs, and will soon get, new leadership. No elected office is more important than mayor; this is the person Angelenos look to in a crisis, who can set the tone of the political discourse and should act as the moral compass for city policy.
It’s never an easy job, but this is an especially challenging moment for L.A.’s next mayor. The public feels pessimistic and angry. There is frustration over homelessness policy, fear about rising crime rates, and now an ugly scandal that has rocked City Hall and damaged decades of hard-fought progress in building racial solidarity. Three City Council members were caught on an audio recording making racist and derogatory comments about colleagues and constituents and plotting how to maintain their political power at the expense of Black and other communities.
This is a time and a job that calls for the skills of Rep. Karen Bass, who has spent her career working to bring people together, bridge racial divides and work for the betterment of communities. For the June primary, The Times endorsed Bass because she is an extraordinarily qualified and mission-driven leader. She is the still the best choice to be L.A.’s next mayor.
