Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Leads Re-election Despite High Disapproval
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is currently ahead in her re-election campaign, even though over half of the voters disapprove of her performance.
A recent poll conducted by the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Government, co-hosted by the Los Angeles Times, shows Bass with 25% support among likely voters. City Council member Nitya Raman trails at 17%, closely followed by reality TV figure Spencer Pratt at 14%. Interestingly, about 25% of voters remain undecided. The poll also highlights that 56% of likely voters view the mayor negatively, while only 31% hold a positive opinion of her.
Political science professor Dan Schnurr, affiliated with several universities including USC and Berkeley, described the poll results as “on the verge of catastrophic” for Bass, despite her leading position.
“Her struggle against lesser-known competitors is concerning,” Schnurr remarked. “What’s keeping her afloat is the fact that stronger candidates have chosen not to run against her.”
The poll’s timing was significant, coinciding with reports revealing that Mayor Bass allegedly instructed a report on the aftermath of the 2025 Palisades fire to be softened for a more favorable narrative.
The initial version of the report, drafted by then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva after the dismissal of Christine Crowley, noted a suggestion to replace a “negative” image of a burning palm tree with a more uplifting picture of firefighters. The report went through seven revisions before its final version was published, but the last draft was not identified.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the mayor specifically pointed to the city’s shortcomings in adequately staffing and pre-deploying fire engines for high-wind conditions. While Bass has denied directing these edits, sources indicate otherwise.
Following the initial draft, Bass reportedly expressed concern to Villanueva that the report could lead to potential legal issues for the city due to its failures. Insiders note that the mayor aimed to eliminate or downplay critical findings regarding the Los Angeles Fire Department’s actions.
An anonymous source asserted that Bass “was not telling the truth” about her involvement in altering the report, and a confidant labeled the decision to change it as “a bad idea.” Should the issue escalate to court, there are expectations that several individuals close to Bass will testify under oath.
“All changes align with what the Times reported as Karen’s intentions,” another source remarked.
Bass’ office, however, has firmly denied any suggestion that the mayor requested alterations. A statement from her office conveyed:
The mayor has consistently voiced concerns regarding the LAFD’s response, which is why there has been a change in leadership and a call for an independent review following the Lachman Fire cleanup. Despite ongoing critiques of the fire response, there was no reason to amend or conceal these details. This assertion is false and has been reiterated multiple times.
In response to the situation, a representative from the Los Angeles Times criticized the reporting as “the worst form of journalism, dangerous and irresponsible,” suggesting that relying on unverified sources and making baseless accusations is unacceptable.
