Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass plans to endorse Antonio Villaraigosa, a longtime compatriot and the town’s former mayor, within the 2026 governor’s race on Tuesday.
“Antonio and I have known and worked together our entire adult life,” Bass stated in an announcement. “I have seen up close the impact he has made not just for our city but for our entire state. Our country is at a crossroads and it’s vital that our state have a leader who will lead California into the future.”
Villaraigosa stated he was honored to have Bass’ help, describing the mayor as “a fierce advocate for working families, children, seniors, and underserved communities and a tireless champion for social and economic justice and for the people of Los Angeles.”
Along with Villaraigosa, who served as Los Angeles’ mayor for eight years, different outstanding candidates embrace former Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine, former U.S. Well being and Human Companies Secretary Xavier Becerra, former state legislative chief Toni Atkins, present state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former state Controller Betty Yee, rich businessman Stephen Cloobeck, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton.
After former Vice President Kamala Harris opted towards coming into the gubernatorial race, unbiased polling has discovered that Porter and Bianco have a slim edge within the 2026 contest. However a lot may occur within the eight months earlier than the June main. Politically energetic Californians are largely targeted on the November particular election about redrawing California’s congressional districts.
Regardless of being the Democratic chief of the nation’s second-largest metropolis in an overwhelmingly blue state and a veteran congresswoman, it’s unclear how a lot weight Bass’ endorsement could have within the governor’s race.
Her favorability rankings have dropped since she was elected mayor in 2022. Shortly earlier than Bass gained the mayoral contest, 50% of Los Angeles voters had a positive opinion of her, in accordance with a UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Instances ballot. In April, after wildfires ravaged the realm, 50% had an unfavorable view of her. Nevertheless, Bass’ status might have rebounded as she vigorously defended the town throughout federal immigration raids this summer time.
Bass has identified Villaraigosa, a former two-term Los Angeles mayor and legislative chief, for greater than half a century. They met as neighborhood activists within the Nineteen Seventies, targeted on points such because the drug epidemic, police accountability and poverty.
They’ve lengthy supported one another’s political pursuits. Villaraigosa was an early backer of Bass’ 2022 mayoral marketing campaign and served on her mayoral transition workforce.
Town’s Black voters had been a part of the coalition Villaraigosa constructed that gained him the mayor’s race in 2005.
“I understood from an early age that much of the success that I have had is on the backs of the civil rights movement,” Villaraigosa informed the Sentinel in 2022. He added that he “wouldn’t have been elected mayor if not for African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Jews and progressive whites all coming together.”
