The Los Angeles mayoral race appeared headed to a November general-election runoff between U.S. Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso after Tuesday’s primary, setting the scene for a costly, bare-knuckle contest for control of City Hall.
Caruso received 42.1% of the vote, while Bass had 37%, with 50% of the votes counted. Los Angeles City Council Member Kevin De Leon ranked third, with 7.5% of the vote. Since no candidate seems poised to nab a majority of the vote, Caruso and Bass will face off on November 8; the New York Times called the race late Tuesday.
While Hollywood execs often stay out of local politics, homelessness and rising crime in Los Angeles prompted a groundswell of support for candidates running for mayor this year.
In the run-up to the primary, Caruso spent more than $40 million — much from his estimated $4.3 billion fortune – dwarfing the $10.2 million that L.A.’s current mayor, Eric Garcetti, spent on his 2013 campaign. Caruso’s financing includes a $37.5 million loan the billionaire developer of The Grove made to himself. Bass has raised about $4.7 million, according to campaign records filed with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.
A former Republican, Caruso registered as a Democrat in January and has successfully courted support from some prominent liberals in Hollywood like Gwyneth Paltrow, United Talent Agency co-president Jay Sures, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos and his producer wife, Nicole Avant.
Meanwhile Bass – a former social worker who served as speaker of the California Assembly before winning election to Congress in 2010 – has drawn support from many self-described liberals, and women, particularly those of color. A close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she has solid Democratic credentials and a substantial record of progressive positions.
Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and JJ Abrams were early Bass supporters, staying true to their progressive roots. Media mogul Haim Saban, meanwhile, kicked in cash for De Leon.
Since self-described liberals comprise one third of the Los Angeles electorate and among them, Bass holds an advantage over Caruso. But when it comes to money, Bass is at a disadvantage.
Will Bass’ backers, particularly Hollywood Democrats like Jeffery Katzenberg, be called on to give and raise enough funds to keep her competitive in the general election against the billionaire developer? And is Caruso willing to spend $80 million or more to be mayor of Los Angeles?
The race has deeply split Hollywood politicos, pitting mogul against mogul with differing views on who could best address homelessness and crime in the city. Sures said he’s supporting Caruso, who served for years on LA’s police commission, because he has a clear vison on how to clean up the city.
“I find it so offensive when you hear some of the things that are being said about him given all the good things he’s done,” Sures said. “It’s just outrageous. Politics is a really nasty business.”
This story was updated to reflect latest election results.
