LOS ANGELES, CA – Developer Rick Caruso said Monday he will vote for Mayor Karen Bass in the Nov. 3 Los Angeles mayoral election, four years after she defeated him in the 2022 race, according to a statement he released.
Caruso announced his decision Monday, Oct. 26, eight days before Election Day. He said it is not a formal endorsement and described it only as how he plans to cast his ballot. Bass faces City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents District 4, on the general election ballot.
“For the love of L.A., I must put the past behind me because this election must be about our future,” Caruso said. He said he has seen Bass grow into the job of mayor.
Caruso lost to Bass in 2022 after spending more than $100 million on his campaign, and Bass went on to win her first term. He has frequently criticized her leadership since then, particularly her handling of the Palisades Fire and the recovery that followed.
Caruso says he will keep holding the mayor accountable
Caruso discussed his decision in the statement and in interviews on Monday and Tuesday. He said he would continue to hold city leaders accountable, including the mayor.
He cited the city’s help with permits and city services as the Palisades Village shopping district reopened in August. He also pointed to the groundbreaking of the Palisades Recreation Center.
Palisades Village reopening cited
Palisades Village officially opened to the public on Aug. 15 with a ribbon-cutting, according to a Mayor’s Office release on the reopening. Bass said in that release that the reopening was a critical milestone in the recovery of Pacific Palisades and an important sign of hope.
The release said the Mayor’s Office and city departments worked with Caruso and the Palisades Village team to repair roads, paint crosswalks and curbs, and fix streetlights. It said Caruso invested millions of dollars in improvements near Sunset Boulevard.
Recreation center broke ground
Bass, Caruso’s nonprofit Steadfast LA and LA Strong Sports officially broke ground on the new Palisades Recreation Center, according to the Mayor’s Office.
The project is a public-private partnership that was announced in April 2025.
Joint appearance came six days earlier
Caruso and Bass had appeared together at Palisades Village on Oct. 20. The Mayor’s Office said in a release on the appearance that the two highlighted progress on Executive Directive 19 and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Power Ready LA program.
According to the release, Power Ready LA lowers upfront utility costs for housing and commercial projects.
Bass issued Executive Directive No. 19 on April 27 to streamline and modernize development services in Los Angeles. The directive requires city departments to complete reviews and approvals within 60 days of a completed application for projects that are 100% affordable housing or shelters.
The directive grew out of permitting reforms the mayor announced in April to speed housing and business development across the city.
Caruso criticizes Raman’s plan for LAPD chief
While backing Bass, Caruso criticized Raman. He called her plan to replace Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell reckless and dangerous.
“This is no time to turn the LAPD into a laboratory for risky DSA social experimentation,” Caruso said, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America.
According to initial reports, Raman has said she would remove McDonnell if elected, citing his handling of the 2025 protests against immigration enforcement. She has also said that finding a replacement would take time and a search.
According to initial reports, Caruso also said his concerns about Raman are less about ideology than about competence.
McDonnell weighs in on campaign video
McDonnell addressed the issue in an interview in October. He called a Raman campaign video “disappointing” and said 52 officers were injured during the summer 2025 protests.
Bass and Raman respond
Bass said she was honored to receive Caruso’s support and looks forward to working with him over the next four years. “Rick and I have a long history of working together to solve big problems,” she said.
Raman said she looks forward to working with Caruso if she is elected mayor. She called the maneuvering “internal political theater” and said it is not the concern of voters.
Councilmember Park says she is voting for Bass
Councilmember Traci Park, who represents District 11, made a similar announcement at a town hall in Pacific Palisades in October. “I’m not endorsing Karen Bass, but I am voting for Karen Bass,” Park said.
Park also criticized Raman’s record and her stance on the LAPD chief.
Polling shows a tight race
Recent polling shows the race between Bass and Raman tied. A poll is a snapshot of voter preferences during a specific period and not a prediction of the result.
Caruso’s announcement came after ballots had been in voters’ hands for weeks. As of Wednesday, six days remain until Election Day.
What is on the Nov. 3 ballot
The City of Los Angeles is holding its general municipal election on Nov. 3, according to the Los Angeles City Clerk. The offices on the ballot are mayor, city attorney, City Council Districts 3 and 9, and eight city measures.
The candidates for mayor are Raman and Bass, according to the City Clerk.
Voting options remain open
Los Angeles County began mailing vote-by-mail ballots on Oct. 1, according to a county announcement. The county said, “With Vote by Mail ballots arriving soon, voters can begin making their plan.”
Vote centers opened Oct. 24. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, the county said.
More than 400 official ballot drop boxes are available. Mail-in ballots need no postage and should be returned at least seven days before Election Day, according to the county.
The deadline to register to vote and receive a vote-by-mail ballot was Oct. 19, the county said in a voter registration notice. Voters who missed it can still vote in person at any vote center. Voters can register online at LAVOTE.GOV.
Election Day is Nov. 3
Caruso has said his decision is not a formal endorsement and that he will keep holding city leaders accountable, including the mayor.
Voters will decide the race between Bass and Raman on Nov. 3.
