Hillary Clinton Endorses Karen Bass for Mayor of LA

Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic Party Nominee for President Hillary Clinton announced on Thursday that she would be endorsing Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) in her bid to become Mayor of Los Angeles.

Both Bass and her opponent, real estate developer Rick Caruso, have both received prominent endorsements in the last few months, with many coming just before the primary in early June when Bass barely defeated Caruso in the election. Speaker of the U.S. House Nancy Pelosi has been amongst Bass’s top endorsers so far in the race, along with 16 other current and former members of Congress, 3 Senators, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and dozens of others state and local officials.

Caruso has also kept up pace, albeit with a pull coming from law enforcement groups, public safety groups, and prominent individuals. Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and former California first lady Maria Shriver are just a few supporting Caruso.

However, major federal level lawmakers and former major federal level nominees have been absent in endorsing either. For both candidates, this has been something of a disappointment, as any endorsements coming from former Presidents and presidential nominees are often seen as significant bumps of support, with their high profile almost guaranteed to give at least a few extra points during an election.

That changed on Thursday, with Clinton backing Bass. In a message on Twitter, Clinton not only gave Bass her endorsement, but praised her record and mentioned her long career and support of women’s rights.

“I’m proud to endorse Karen Bass for mayor of L.A. because she’s a proven leader who will bring Angelenos together to solve problems while championing women’s rights and opportunities for young people,” tweeted Clinton on Thursday.

I'm proud to endorse @karenbassla for mayor of L.A. because she’s a proven leader who will bring Angelenos together to solve problems while championing women’s rights and opportunities for young people.

Sign up to help her win: https://t.co/bWJyctbffS https://t.co/TRe8wk87v2

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 28, 2022

A major endorsement for Bass

Bass, in turn, was thankful for Clinton’s endorsement on Thursday, noting in a statement that “I worked with the former secretary of state and first lady in Los Angeles, Washington and overseas on issues we both care about, including reforms to keep children and families from homelessness and to stop cycles of poverty. Clinton is a trailblazing leader who understands how high the stakes in this election are for women and for everyone whose rights are under attack.”

While a big get for the Bass campaign, some experts cautioned on Thursday that the endorsement would likely do little for the Bass campaign.

“Presidential and presidential nominee endorsements can work both ways, and in Clinton’s case, it may not bring Bass a lot of new support,” explained  Jan Ives, a Washington-based local election analyst, to the Globe on Thursday. “Clinton definitely plays to her base and supporters, so if they had any doubts, they know from this that she is ‘good’ to them.”

“But the endorsement may also scare many others either on the fence or who just barely supported Bass in the June primary. Clinton is a divisive figure, even within her own party, so a lot of voters are seeing this and are remembering 2016, including the fact that she lost to Trump and her elitism.”

“In LA, Trump is seen the same way by voters, but to his credit, he has not come out with an endorsement for Caruso. Again, if he did, some in the base might like it but it would also scare many people away on the fence.”

“Clinton’s endorsement is not something to be taken lightly, but at the same time, it could end up hurting Bass amongst voters on the fence or leaning one way or the other right now. Undecideds might decide after this.”

Other major endorsements for both candidates are expected to be announced in the coming months as the November 2022 election comes closer.