Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37) responded to favorable polling numbers, saying she is “seriously considering’’ a run to become the next mayor of Los Angeles.
A poll released on Aug. 23 by a California-based public opinion research firm found that more than a quarter of a sample of the city’s Democrats supported Bass against other current and potential candidates for the 2022 mayoral election.
In an interview with KPCC/LAist, Bass said, “I have been overwhelmed and humbled by people pushing for me to do this, and I will say that I am seriously considering it.’’
She said that running for mayor “was not something I had thought about before—I was planning to run for reelection. I am evaluating the situation now.’’
Along with Bass, a Democrat, current and potential candidates included in the poll were former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner; City Attorney Mike Feuer; Council President Nury Martinez; businessman Rick Caruso; and Councilmen Kevin de Leon and Joe Buscaino.
Of the group, Buscaino and Feuer are the only ones who have announced a run for mayor in 2022.
About 27 percent of Democrats polled said that if the election was held today, they would vote for Bass.
“A plurality is undecided, and the race is wide open, but Bass is the only potential candidate for mayor who can claim a real base of support,’’ according to a summary of the survey of 803 Los Angeles voters, which was conducted between July 29 and Aug. 5 by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates.
Bass’ district includes Los Angeles neighborhoods west and southwest of downtown, as well as the cities of Culver City and Inglewood.
More than one out of five (22 percent) of all people surveyed said Bass was their first choice among the candidates, and 8 percent ranked her second. Bass was the only potential or current candidate who received double-digit first-choice support, and Caruso and de Leon tied for second with 6 percent of respondents saying they were their first choices.
Bass’ support as a first choice grew to 28 percent after the poll’s participants were given a profile with positive information about each candidate, with Buscaino following at 9 percent. After participants were shown statements highlighting negative information and allegations about each candidate, Bass’ support as a first choice grew to 33 percent, with Caruso following at 9 percent.
Bass received the most positive feedback from poll participants, with 42 percent indicating that they have a favorable impression of her and 16 percent expressing an unfavorable impression. Feuer was next, with 31 percent expressing a favorable opinion; followed by Beutner (29 percent), de Leon (26 percent), Martinez (22 percent), Caruso (21 percent) and Buscaino (20 percent).
The pollsters identified that Bass’ advantage over the rest of the potential candidates comes partly from progressives and liberals, with 34 percent of progressives and 25 percent of liberals responding that they would vote for her if the election was held today. She also had the advantage of being the best known among the candidates and led with Black Angelenos and people on the Westside and in South Los Angeles.
Generally, the poll indicated that about 70 percent of voters are either very likely or somewhat likely to vote for a woman for mayor, and 69 percent are very likely or somewhat likely to vote for a person of color to head the city.
