It was supposed to be a shoo-in reelection for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. After becoming the first woman mayor for LA and the second Black person to hold the office, Bass was looking to serve the city for another four years.
But the Palisades Fire in January 2025 made people question her leadership, especially after it came to light that Bass was on an international trip to Ghana when the Pacific Palisades neighborhood was engulfed in flames.
While critics may want to replace Bass with someone else over the handling of the wildfire, Bass is a seasoned politician who has never lost an election. And because Bass has years of experience in community organizing, it may be too soon to count her out.
Who is Karen Bass?
Bass is a woman of many firsts: the first woman to become LA mayor, the first Black woman to be a speaker of the California State Assembly.
Before entering politics, the LA native was a nurse and a community organizer. After founding the Community Coalition in the 90s, Bass led the grassroots organization to address poverty, crime and substance abuse in the South LA neighborhoods.
Her career in politics began when she was elected as a State Assemblymember in 2004. Four years later, she became the first Black woman to serve as a Speaker of the State Assembly.
Between 2011 and 2022, Bass served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before setting her eyes on the LA mayor’s office.
What are Karen Bass’ proposals?
Despite the criticism that her Inside Safe initiative has been costly and ineffective, she is doubling down on her anti-homelessness program, saying it has reduced street homelessness by 17.5%.
While touting her record of accelerating some 40,000 units of housing during her first term, Bass is also pushing the “Adaptive Reuse Ordinance 2.0” to convert underutilized office buildings and hotels into housing to address the supply shortage.
After several years of “defund the police” efforts, Bass is trying to reverse the course and hire more police officers before big international events, including the 2028 LA Olympics.
In an one-on-one interview with NBC Los Angeles, Mayor Bass also said the city will be safe to host the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Conan Nolan reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
What are controversies surrounding Bass?
The most recent and significant controversy is Bass’ trip to Ghana while the Palisades Fire scorched homes and properties in the Pacific Palisades. Bass had previously promised not to travel abroad during her term.
The National Weather Service had already issued warnings of extreme fire weather before she left for Ghana.
Later, the mayor told NBC Los Angeles the trip was a mistake.
Others said Bass’ decision to cut $17 million from the LA Fire Department’s budget hampered the department’s response to the Palisades Fire.
Bass has also faced criticism from progressives in the city for her support for the LAPD and pushing for more budget for the police department.