Kamala Harris has weighed in on the LA mayor’s race and issued endorsements in several other contests — but refused to back a gubernatorial candidate.
The former VP, who now lives in Malibu, endorsed incumbent Karen Bass for mayor of the second-largest city in the US.
“She has my full support for re-election,” the Democrat said.
The two have known each other for more than two decades and were once rumored rivals for the vice presidency when Joe Biden pledged to select a woman as his running mate in 2020.
Bass, who is serving her first term, was sworn in as mayor while Harris was still serving as vice president.
As Bass faces scrutiny and uncertainty in her re-election bid — particularly amid backlash over her handling of the deadly Palisades fire — Harris pointed to her record on homelessness and crime.
“Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now. She has done what so many said couldn’t be done — the first-ever two-year decline in homelessness, reducing crime to levels this city hasn’t seen since the 1960s, and refusing to back down when the federal government came after our neighbors,” Harris said in a statement.
In the City of Los Angeles, unsheltered homelessness decreased by just 7.9%, while sheltered homelessness increased by 4.7%, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Crime in the city is also steadily declining, with a 19% drop in homicides in 2025 compared to 2024. The number of homicides in 2025 is the lowest since 1966, according to LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.
Harris weighed in on the race just as mail-in ballots reached residents, who are now beginning to make their choices.
While Bass is currently leading her primary opponents — Councilmember Nithya Raman and reality TV star Spencer Pratt — she continues to face mixed public perception. A majority view her unfavorably, while 13% have no opinion.
The incumbent leads the pack with 25% of voter support, though roughly a quarter of Angelenos remain undecided, according to a Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll.
Meanwhile, City Councilwoman Nithya Raman and reality TV personality Spencer Pratt are gaining ground on Bass, with 17% and 15% support, respectively, the poll shows.
Bass also faced intense scrutiny in February 2026 following allegations that she directed the “watering down” of an after-action report on the January 2025 Palisades fire.
The report allegedly softened criticisms of LAFD failures, including staffing decisions, to avoid legal liability, though Bass has strongly denied the claims.
While Harris remained on the sidelines of the high-stakes gubernatorial primary, she did not hesitate to weigh in on several other key California races.
She threw her support behind a slate of Democratic allies, endorsing Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis in her bid for state treasurer, as well as incumbents Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Controller Malia Cohen.
Harris avoided choosing between longtime colleagues Katie Porter and Xavier Becerra in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom. Currently, Becerra leads the Democratic field.