Karen Bass

The opening of a Washington Examiner column (the rest is paywalled) criticizing Bass as unpopular and her dismissal of Spencer Pratt as tone-deaf.

• Cites a poll putting Bass's favorability at 31%.
• Quotes Bass telling MeidasTouch she had never heard of Pratt and believed he was exploiting the grief of Palisades residents.

An opinion column by Jon Fleischman on his So Does It Matter newsletter, written after Bass's December 2025 reelection launch, arguing that her record on affordability, services, homelessness spending, public safety, fire response and the Olympics shows she has been a poor mayor.

• Argues city budgets grew while services such as trash pickup and street repair deteriorated.
• Argues public-employee unions limit any mayor's ability to reform and that this worsened under Bass.
• Says independent audits show the city cannot reliably track homelessness spending or results.
• Cites a Rick Caruso social media post claiming LAPD sworn staffing is at a recent low and an academy class was cancelled.
• Criticizes her absence during the Palisades Fire and slow permits and poor communication afterward.
• Warns that unresolved Olympic costs could fall on taxpayers; concedes she inherited some dysfunction.

LAist's voter guide for the Los Angeles mayor race (published May 4, 2026, updated October 19, 2026). It explains the mayor's powers and the issues facing the next term, profiles each candidate, and quotes Karen Bass's written answers to an LAist questionnaire on priorities, homelessness, Olympics costs, immigration enforcement and why she should be reelected.

• Bass named her top three priorities as ending street encampments, strengthening public safety and elevating city services.
• On homelessness Bass wrote she will 'maintain focus on interim housing until the last street encampment is gone' and claimed a 17.5% reduction in street homelessness in her first two years.
• On the Olympics she said she established the Office of Major Events and is 'mandating transparency through strict, independent audits.'
• On immigration enforcement she described her approach as 'resistance with a purpose.'
• Her reelection case cites a 17.5% drop in street homelessness, 40,000 housing units accelerated, the first rent stabilization update in 40 years, a Comprehensive Infrastructure Plan and the lowest homicide total since the 1960s.
• LAist notes she was criticized for the Palisades Fire response, terminated the fire chief (who sued), and abandoned allowing affordable housing in single-family zones after neighborhood opposition.

Bass's own written answers to a Patch candidate questionnaire before the June 2026 primary, covering her background, top issues, homelessness plan, public safety, transparency and why she is the better choice.

• Bass lists her top issues as homelessness and housing, public safety and well-being, and affordability and economic equity.
• She says ED1 and ED7 fast-tracked housing and cut approval timelines by up to 85%, and that 42,000+ affordable units were fast-tracked.
• She says the city moved 23,000+ Angelenos indoors and achieved a 17.5% reduction in street homelessness; she rejects a 'false choice' between incarceration and waiting for permanent supportive housing and would scale interim beds.
• She would institutionalize the Office of Community Safety, expand the CIRCLE unarmed-response program to 24/7 in every zip code, and fund violence interventionists permanently.
• On transparency she cites appointing the first ethics officer in the mayor's office and Inside Safe dashboards, and pledges a transparency policy for bargaining.
• She says in a second term she would codify executive orders into law, and argues rivals offer 'inexperience, reality TV antics, or ideological stagnation.'

The as-delivered text of Mayor Karen Bass's February 2, 2026 State of the City address at the Expo Center, framed around the coming World Cup, Women's U.S. Open and 2028 Olympics. She addresses the Palisades Fire recovery, federal immigration enforcement, affordability and housing, homelessness and Inside Safe, veterans, jobs, filming, public safety and city cleanliness.

• Bass announced more than 100 free World Cup watch parties and events across every council district.
• On the fire, she said the city expedited rebuilding and overhauled permitting, that more than 400 homes were under construction, and that she would go to Sacramento with Councilmember Park to seek state investment.
• Bass described the June 6, 2025 federal immigration operations as an 'experiment', criticized the National Guard deployment as 'theater', named people killed in federal enforcement, and called for an end to ICE's presence in LA.
• On housing, she said her first Executive Directive accelerated 33,000 units with 6,000 under construction, and that the council made it permanent law; she announced $14 million in rental assistance for seniors and people with disabilities.
• On homelessness, she said Inside Safe resolved nearly 120 encampments, cited an 85% permanent-housing retention rate, and said interim-housing retention and cost-effectiveness must improve.
• She said homicides fell 19% the prior year, the lowest in nearly 60 years, and described an Office of Community Safety alongside LAPD staffing.
• She announced relaunching House Our Vets, a Clean Corridors Initiative, and continued solar streetlight installation.

Mayor Bass's office release and her November 4, 2025 letter to the City Council (CF 22-1545) lifting the homelessness State of Emergency she declared on her first day in office, stating that the tools it created are now in place.

• Bass wrote that the emergency allowed expedited contracting, the launch of Inside Safe and Executive Directive 1.
• She claimed two consecutive years of reduced homelessness including a 17% drop in street homelessness.
• She said more than 30,000 units are moving through the ED1 pipeline and that ED1 would soon be codified as an ordinance.
• She said emergencies are not designed to be permanent and she would reinstate one if 'extraordinary authority' were needed.

FOX 11 report on Gov. Gavin Newsom's endorsement of Bass for reelection before the June primary, with statements from Newsom and Bass.

• Newsom credited Bass with an 18% decline in homelessness, historic drops in violent crime, boosting film production and protecting communities against ICE.
• Bass credited Newsom with state resources that drove down homelessness two years in a row and with standing with the city against the Trump administration.
• Kamala Harris also endorsed Bass earlier in May.

ABC7 report on the October 13, 2026 NBC4/Telemundo 52 debate between Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman, with direct quotes from both on homelessness, leadership, a campaign video, the Palisades Fire, and the LAPD chief.

• Bass argued that turning the city over to Raman 40 weeks before the Olympics would destabilize it, citing what she called Raman's extreme views and inability to build relationships.
• Bass defended Inside Safe and said Raman, as committee chair, approved every dollar spent on it and received regular reports.
• Bass again apologized for being out of the country when the Palisades Fire began.
• Bass said removing LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell before the Olympics would send the LAPD into disarray.

LAist's three takeaways from the October 13, 2026 hour-long televised debate, covering homelessness, policing and emergency response, with quotes from Mayor Bass.

• Bass acknowledged the 3.4% citywide rise in homelessness in the latest count but pointed to districts where it dropped, including Raman's, crediting Inside Safe.
• Bass said the city must be in complete control of its homelessness system: 'No more joint working with the county.'
• Bass said Raman lacks 'any idea' what picking a police chief takes and that replacing the chief 640 days before the Olympics would cause disarray.
• Bass said license-plate readers have a place in crime prevention but she does not support renewing the Flock contract.
• Bass apologized for not being in LA when the Palisades Fire began (she was in Ghana with a Biden administration delegation) and said the city is prepared for the next fire under Fire Chief Jaime Moore.

LAist report on the September 29, 2026 Jewish Federation of Los Angeles mayoral forum at the Skirball Cultural Center, where Bass and Raman were interviewed separately by Alex Cohen. Bass said she does not believe 'genocide' describes events in Gaza and would oppose sanctions against Israel.

• Asked whether the term genocide applies in Gaza, Bass said her focus on foreign conflicts is their impact on LA and answered 'no, I don't.'
• Bass said she would oppose any effort to enact sanctions against Israel.
• LAist frames the Bass-Raman split as part of a broader Democratic Party shift, citing an AP-NORC poll.

City News Service report (on NBC Los Angeles) on the September 29, 2026 Jewish Federation mayoral forum. Bass said genocide is not an appropriate term for Israel's actions, would not support divestment, and described actions on Jewish community safety.

• Bass said genocide was not an appropriate term and she would not support divesting from Israeli-based companies.
• Bass cited forming a Jewish Community Safety Working Group, working with the Interfaith Council, and increased patrols and security over Jewish holidays.
• Bass said the city would review and plan implementation of AB 2664, the Safe Worship Zone Act.
• Both candidates shared concern about rising violence against the Jewish community.

ABC7 political reporter Josh Haskell's one-on-one interview with Mayor Bass before the June primary, covering her case for reelection, Inside Safe's return-to-street rate, LAPD hiring in her budget, relations with the council, and Spencer Pratt.

• Bass cited a 17.5% drop in street homelessness two years in a row and a 60-year-low homicide rate.
• Asked about roughly 40% of Inside Safe participants returning to the street, Bass said services have been lacking, that 60% remained housed, and that the next four years require a more cost-effective system that does not place people in permanent housing immediately.
• ABC7 reports her proposed budget would hire 510 officers and give over $2 billion to LAPD.
• Bass said she works well with council members but would work around them if needed.
• Bass said Pratt is tapping into anger and does not have 'a clue' how to run the city.

Edited transcript of Larry Mantle's April 27, 2026 AirTalk interview with Mayor Karen Bass before a live audience at Loyola Marymount University. Bass discusses lessons from the Palisades Fire, Inside Safe and the LA Times finding that 40% left it, congregate and tiny-home housing, a forthcoming Comprehensive Infrastructure Plan, LA28 Olympics finances, criticism of LAPD Chief McDonnell and immigration enforcement, the city's reserve, and her personal qualifications.

• On the fire, Bass said the city and county failed to pre-deploy and that 'being here' was the most obvious lesson; she said the city now goes 'overboard' on pre-deployment and will clear brush regardless of state or city jurisdiction.
• Bass said over 2,000 permits were issued for over 1,000 Palisades properties and over 400 homes were under construction, calling some criticism 'deliberate' misinformation; she named insurance and banking as the biggest obstacles.
• Defending Inside Safe, Bass cited two consecutive years of street-homelessness reduction and over 120 encampments cleared, and argued savings in fire, medical and police calls; she acknowledged 'we don't know where they are' for the 40% who left.
• Bass said she is fast-tracking 42,000 affordable units with 6,000 under construction, and supports newer congregate and tiny-home models on city land while acknowledging hotels were too expensive.
• Bass said the city lacked a comprehensive infrastructure plan, announced 60,000 solar streetlights, and blamed a 'slow and no' culture and term limits.
• On the Olympics, Bass said ticket sales and fundraising are ahead of target and she saw 'no evidence' of LA28 financial struggle.
• Bass described an executive directive barring city departments from cooperating with ICE or allowing staging on city property, and said she was 'concerned' about criticisms of Chief McDonnell.
• Bass said a roughly 5% reserve is sufficient.

Mayor's office release with the full text of Emergency Executive Order No. 7 (April 25, 2025), suspending collection of plan check and permit fees for rebuilding homes damaged or destroyed in the January 2025 wildfires, pending a Council fee-waiver ordinance, and furthering Councilwoman Traci Park's motion.

• Departments continue processing permits for single-family homes and duplexes while suspending fee collection; final waiver depends on Council adopting an ordinance.
• Directs the CAO to detail fees to be waived, including retroactive waivers, and estimate General Fund impact within seven days; asks the City Attorney to draft an urgency ordinance.
• All planning, building reviews and inspections remain required.
• The release says 27 permits for 19 addresses had been issued, the first on March 5, 2025, and plan check took about 6 days under Executive Order 1.

Mayor's office release with the full text of Emergency Executive Order No. 5 (March 21, 2025), 'Resilient Rebuilding', directing city departments to develop streamlined permitting for all-electric rebuilds and recommendations on fire-resistant construction, utility and water-system resilience, evacuation and preparedness after the Palisades Fire.

• Directs LADBS to recommend a streamlined permitting pathway within 60 days for all-electric like-for-like rebuilds, and LADWP to review incentives within 30 days.
• Calls for recommendations within 90 days on fire-resistant materials and timely 'Zone 0' ember-resistant regulations per Gov. Newsom's EO N-18-25.
• Orders reports on utility undergrounding, water-system resilience for firefighting, hillside erosion, and evaluation of evacuation routes and notification systems.
• Creates a Resilient Rebuild Advisory Committee and directs work with the Insurance Commissioner on insurance options.
• The release claims the fastest recovery effort in modern California history, citing utility restoration in two months and Phase 1 debris removal in 28 days.

Mayor's office release with the full text of Executive Directive No. 2 (December 21, 2022), which created the Inside Safe Initiative, a housing-focused program to move people from encampments into interim housing linked to permanent housing.

• The directive pairs all outreach with immediate interim housing and a linkage to permanent housing.
• It sets five goals: reduce loss of life, increase access to mental health and substance treatment, eliminate street encampments, promote long-term housing stability, and enhance neighborhood safety and hygiene.
• It creates a cabinet led by the Mayor's Chief of Housing and Homelessness Solutions including the EMD, LAHSA, the CAO and several city departments.
• Its action plan calls for centralized data on placements and retention, metrics and benchmarks, a master-leasing strategy and a funding strategy that considers Measure ULA, with a report due March 31, 2023.

NBC Los Angeles fact-checks claims made by Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman in the October 13, 2026 NBC4/Telemundo 52 debate. For Bass, it examines her claim of an 11% reduction in homelessness since 2023, the cost of her Inside Safe program, her position on the Flock license-plate-reader contract, and her claim that Palisades rebuilding red tape was eliminated.

• NBC says Bass's claim that homelessness fell 11% since 2023 lacks a clearly identified data basis; LAHSA counts show city homelessness went from 46,260 (2023) to 45,194 (2026), a 2.3% decrease.
• NBC notes critics question LAHSA point-in-time counts, citing a RAND study on undercounting in Skid Row.
• Inside Safe, launched December 2022, has cost more than $300 million per the Los Angeles Times; the city projected $131.9 million for FY 2025-26.
• A December 2023 NBCLA investigation found $67 million spent in year one and 255 people placed in permanent housing; city officials say the program also covers outreach, interim housing and encampment resolution.
• Bass said she supported LAPD's decision not to renew its Flock contract over data-sharing concerns.
• Bass issued executive orders to speed Palisades rebuilding; as of Oct. 8, 2026, the Palisadian-Post tracker showed 50 homes completed, 1,317 permits issued and 1,126 primary structures under construction.

Associated Press profile (republished by Fortune) of Bass's reelection bid days before the June 2, 2026 primary, describing a difficult tenure marked by the Palisades Fire, homelessness and a struggling economy, and a close three-way race with Raman and Spencer Pratt.

• Bass said 'I haven't always got it right' and 'There's more work to do.'
• AP reports homicides dipped, street homelessness is down and fire-destroyed homes are being rebuilt, though critics say too slowly.
• A UC Berkeley IGS/LA Times poll of 1,351 likely voters (May 19-24) found Bass, Raman and Pratt tightly clustered.
• Bass dismissed Pratt as an entertainer and said 'This is not a MAGA city.'
• AP notes most of the Democratic establishment, including Harris, Newsom and Pelosi, and major labor unions back Bass.

Fox News article reporting a CNN interview by Elex Michaelson in which Bass acknowledged she had not met her 2023 goal of ending street homelessness by 2026 and blamed unanticipated bureaucratic barriers.

• Asked about her 2023 goal stated to Jake Tapper, Bass said 'We haven't ended it' and that she did not anticipate some bureaucratic barriers.
• Bass argued the city and county had accepted street homelessness as long as they were building housing.
• Bass said street homelessness fell two years in a row for the first time.
• Bass said she found people inside the system 'very resistant to ending street homelessness.'
• Michaelson said street homelessness had gone down only about 17.6%.

LAist brief on Bass lifting the homelessness emergency declaration she issued on her first day in office, with background on what it enabled and reaction from a councilmember.

• The declaration streamlined Inside Safe and led to Executive Directive 1, which waived certain rules for affordable housing including public hearings and environmental reviews.
• Bass cited two years of declines and said tools were now in place; city officials are pushing to make ED1 permanent law.
• Councilmember Tim McOsker had called for lifting the emergency and said it restores normal contracting rules and transparency.