The Los Angeles mayoral race appeared headed to a fall runoff between U.S. Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso on Tuesday, setting the scene for a costly, bare-knuckle contest for control of City Hall.
Early returns in Tuesday’s primary showed Caruso receiving 41 percent of the vote, while Bass had 38 percent. Los Angeles City Council Member Kevin De Leon ranked third, with 7 percent of the vote. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, Caruso and Bass will face off 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.
Jay Sures, United Talent Agency co-president, said he was impressed by Caruso because “he has a very clear and defined message first and foremost” on how to tackle the city’s problems.
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.
In the runup to the election, Caruso spent more than $40 million, drawing a large sum from his estimated $4.3 billion fortune on his campaign so far – 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 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.
Some diehard liberals like Gwyneth Paltrow, UTA co-president Jay Sures, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos and his producer wife, Nicole Avant, are backing Caruso.
Meanwhile Bass – a former social worker who served as speaker of the California Assembly before winning election to Congress in 2010 – has drawn high-wattage support from Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Norman Lear, TV producer Shonda Rhimes, writer-director JJ Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath.
Bass, a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has solid Democratic credentials and a substantial record of progressive positions. Committed Democrats, self-described liberals, and women, particularly those of color, have been firmly in her camp. That’s significant because they are expected to dominate among what pollsters call “likely voters.”
In fact, 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?
Caruso, a billionaire developer who essentially is self-financing his campaign, 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. UTA co-president Jay 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.”
