The upcoming Los Angeles (LA) mayoral election holds more importance than ever. On Jun. 7, the people of the second largest city in the US by population will vote in a mayoral election and determine who will take the spot of two time elected Eric Garcetti. Two candidates in the mayoral race, Karen Bass and Rick Caruso, have risen to the top of the standings and are expected to be the primary challengers to replace Garcetti. 

Polling with about 23% of voter popularity is Karen Bass, who currently represents the 37th Congressional District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a native-born Angeleno, Bass has spent much of her career being an advocate for social and economic justice, founding the Community Coalition in South LA as a response to the rise of drug abuse and gang violence in the 1990s and serving as the Chair of the Black Congressional Caucus during the Trump Administration. Much of her vision as mayor surrounds raising less fortunate Angelenos to a higher quality of life, increasing both temporary and permanent housing locations around the city to address the rapidly increasing cost of living, increasing financial support for small businesses in a period of pandemic recovery, and expand programs to employ Angelenos in critical economic components such as Los Angeles International Airport and the Ports of LA and Long Beach. 

Slightly ahead of Bass with 24% of voter popularity is businessman Rick Caruso, best known for being the mastermind behind the Americana at Brand, one of the largest shopping and dining complexes in LA. Unlike Bass’ social advocate approach to addressing the city’s core issues of homelessness and high crime rates, Caruso’s campaign is aimed at creating the “cleanest and most transparent mayoral administration in the history of Los Angeles,” a stark contrast to the rampant corruption he has seen through charges pressed against several city council members. Some of his most ambitious strategies include working for a salary of $1, ending City Council involvement in how land is used around the city to prevent bribes, and refusing to accept contributions from corporations or other lobbyists interested in dictating the Angeleno government’s decisions. Caruso has been very vocal in his criticism of the current government, notably Attorney General George Gascon and his push for the passing of Proposition 47, which waives any misdemeanor charges so long as the total value of the misdemeanor is under $950. Like Bass, Caruso also seeks to address the housing issue in Los Angeles by declaring a state of emergency, which will involve the Emergency Management Department in creating projects and allocating funds to get more Angelenos off the street.

As for current mayor Eric Garcetti, he’s leaving office on a less than desirable note, being under fire for allegedly witnessing firsthand top aide Rick Jacobs sexually harass his former Director of Communications Naomi Seligman and doing nothing to stop the incident. Los Angeles Police Department Matthew Garza, alongside several other individuals working in the Garcetti administration, have also filed similar complaints against Jacobs and Garcetti’s indifference towards taking any sort of action to stop him. Though Garcetti cannot run for reelection as LA mayor due to having already served the max of two terms, surrounding controversy has put his potential future career as the U.S. Ambassador to India in jeopardy.

LA is coming upon one of its most important elections. With Garcetti leaving office, qualified individuals such as Caruso and Bass are eager to take his place and shape their own vision of the vast city and implement their own approaches to addressing its key issues. However, only time will tell whether those approaches will merit the benefits their creators claim they will have.

Photo courtesy of GETTYIMAGES.COM