Top Manager Departs LA Mayoral Candidate Karen Bass’s Campaign

The campaign manager  for Congresswoman and Los Angeles Mayoral candidate Karen Bass left the position on Monday, leaving the Bass campaign devoid of one of its key members less than 4 months before the June Primary.

According to Bass Campaign spokeswoman Anna Bahr, Jamarah Hayner left the campaign under amicable terms to head back to her consulting firm. The campaign also noted that they were grateful for the work done, including help lead Bass to an early 32% of the vote lead, with a 24 point lead over the next major candidates, including City Attorney Mike Feuer, LA City Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Kevin De Leon, and developer Rick Caruso.

Hayner has had an eventful career since graduating from Barnard in 2006. This included serving as Director of Public Policy and Special Initiatives for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg between 2007 and 2010, as the Los Angeles District Director for then state Attorney General Kamala Harris from 2011 to 2012, as a Special Assistant to LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas from 2013 to 2014, and, since 2016, and as the President of her own consulting firm, JKH Consulting.

Despite having her own firm, she still has made several special forays into running campaigns, including managing District Attorney George Gascon’s successful 2020 campaign, and, most recently, running Bass’ Mayoral campaign from September 2021 until Monday.

Hayner’s departure is the latest shift for Bass’ campaign, as many consultants and fundraisers for Bass have also left in the past few months. Responding to concerns about it on Monday, Bahr said that it will take time to  solidify a solid campaign staff.

“This is a long campaign with many different stages,” added Spokeswoman Bahr. “Other candidates in the race have spent years planning their run and building their teams — the congresswoman got started fresh last fall. It takes time to lock in staff for a year-long campaign.”

Experts note that Hayner is a very high demand consultant, and that her departure may signal not only confidence in Bass’ campaign, but that there will be great need for many Democratic candidates later this election year for both the primary and the general in November.

“2022 is an election year, and a well experienced political campaign manager and consultant like Hayner, who used to work for the current Vice President, is very much in demand,” noted Sarah Aquino, an issue consultant in Southern California, to the Globe on Tuesday. “She and her firm are going to pop up again this year. A lot of campaigns are going to be struggling, plus the Democratic Part might have her in reserve in case a more crucial campaign, like one of the Congressional races down in Orange County, starts to take a turn or remains highly competitive.”

“She’s one of the best in California, hence why she has run campaigns for both Gascon and Bass in less than two years. Wherever she focuses on next, that will surely be a quick kick to their campaign. Every great campaign has great consultants and experts coming after all.”

As of Tuesday, the Bass campaign has not announced a replacement for Hayner.