Billionaire Los Angeles mall developer Rick Caruso has announced he is voting for his former rival, Mayor Karen Bass, as she navigates a difficult reelection campaign against City Council Member Nithya Raman.
Caruso, who poured more than $100 million of his own fortune into an unsuccessful mayoral bid against Bass in 2022, stated that the incumbent is the safer choice to lead the nation’s second-largest city. He pointed to ongoing challenges facing Los Angeles, including recovery from last year’s devastating wildfires and a persistent homelessness crisis.
“For the love of LA, I must put the past behind me,” Caruso wrote Monday in a post on Instagram.
Raman, a democratic socialist and six-year veteran of the city council, has gained significant political traction by arguing that the city is moving in the wrong direction under Bass’s leadership. A recent poll conducted by the University of California at Berkeley for the Los Angeles Times indicated that nearly two-thirds of voters feel disappointed in the mayor’s performance. With polls set to close in barely a week, a substantial portion of Los Angeles voters have already cast and returned their mail-in ballots.
The endorsement marks a notable shift for Caruso, who had previously been a severe critic of Bass. Following last year’s destructive fires in the Pacific Palisades—which destroyed thousands of homes while Bass was on an official trip to Africa despite warnings of dangerous local conditions—Caruso openly rebuked her response. However, he noted that the mayor has since demonstrated a willingness to learn and collaborate with local communities on rebuilding initiatives.
Mayor Bass acknowledged the endorsement in a public statement, confirming that she and Caruso have collaborated on rebuilding efforts in the Palisades to help displaced families return to their residences.
“I’m honored to receive his support and I look forward to working with him over the next four years to solve major problems in our city,” Bass said.
Meanwhile, representatives for Raman’s campaign declined to comment on the endorsement. Raman’s political rise aligns with a broader national expansion of the democratic socialist movement, which includes figures such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Caruso criticized several of Raman’s platform proposals, specifically labeling a plan to replace Los Angeles Police Chief Jim Donnell as “reckless and dangerous.” He further argued that Raman has offered vague strategies for managing the city’s homelessness epidemic and lacks sufficient executive leadership experience.
“It is not so much about ideology, but about competence—her lack of executive experience,” Caruso said.
