Magic Johnson endorses Karen Bass for second term as Los Angeles mayor
“She’s doing a tremendous job. Mayor Bass has to have a second term and I’m excited to say that,” Magic Johnson said. (File Photo by Luiza Moraes / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)Basketball icon Magic Johnson publicly endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday (May 11), backing the Democrat’s bid for a second term in the closely watched mayoral race.Bass shared a video of Johnson’s endorsement on social media, where the former Los Angeles Lakers star praised her leadership on homelessness and public safety.“She’s doing a tremendous job. Mayor Bass has to have a second term and I’m excited to say that,” Johnson said.“Listen, you took on a tough job here and you’ve done a fabulous job and all of us appreciate your effort and what you’re doing and we look forward to helping you continue your mission and the things that you have in store — your vision for the city,” he added.Split emerges between Johnson and Lakers owner Jeanie BussJohnson’s endorsement also highlighted a political split with longtime Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who reportedly backed Republican candidate Spencer Pratt in the race.The differing endorsements have drawn attention because of Johnson’s long association with the Lakers organization and Buss family.Johnson said his decades-long friendship with Bass played a key role in his support, alongside what he described as progress on reducing homelessness and lowering homicide rates in Los Angeles.Wildfire response remains major issue in raceWhile Johnson praised Bass’ leadership, he did not address criticism surrounding her handling of the devastating 2025 wildfires that killed at least a dozen people and caused billions of dollars in damage across Los Angeles County.Pratt has repeatedly targeted Bass over the city’s emergency response to the fires, particularly the destruction in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.Bass faced scrutiny because she was attending the inauguration of Ghana’s new president when the wildfire crisis intensified.The disaster has become one of the defining issues in the campaign, with displaced residents continuing to struggle through complex rebuilding and recovery processes months later.Spencer Pratt campaigns on frustration with city governmentFormer MTV reality television personality Spencer Pratt officially launched his mayoral campaign earlier this year, positioning himself as a conservative outsider focused on government dysfunction and public frustration.“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling,” Pratt said while announcing his campaign in January. “It’s fundamentally broken.”Pratt’s campaign began exactly one year after his home was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire.Although Republicans face steep odds in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, Pratt has tapped into broader voter frustration over homelessness, public safety, wildfire preparedness and rising living costs.Nithya Raman emerges as major challengerBass is also facing pressure from the political left through City Council member Nithya Raman, a progressive Democrat who has gained momentum in recent months.Raman has focused heavily on housing policy, urban planning and governance reforms during the campaign.During recent debates, Bass and Raman clashed over homelessness policy, affordable housing construction, police funding and disaster preparedness ahead of the 2028 Olympics.Bass defended her homelessness initiative, saying the program helped move thousands of people from encampments into temporary and permanent housing.She credited the effort with reducing street homelessness by 17.5%.Raman, however, criticized the initiative as too expensive and argued the city needs broader structural reforms.Tight race ahead of primary voteEarly voting is already underway ahead of the June primary election.Polling sugg
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