LA Mayor Karen Bass facing recall effort over handling of Palisades Fire
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Criticism is growing against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass following her handling of the devastating Palisades Fire, and now she is facing a recall effort.
The recall campaign is led by Nicole Shanahan, the former running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to the recall website, the effort is also supported by some Palisades residents.
During an interview with radio station KNX News on Tuesday, the mayor, who is up for re-election in 2026, confirmed she has already launched her campaign.
"I would never quit on my city. This is where I was born and raised," Bass told the radio station. "Did I know that it was a difficult job? Absolutely. Am I ready for the job? Most definitely."
The recall effort will require 330,000 ballot signatures to progress, which will need to be obtained within a span of four months.
Since the wildfires in January, Bass has faced growing criticism over her response and leadership. The Palisades fire broke out on Jan. 7, and residents have faulted her for being out of the country in its early days.
ABC7's 7 On Your Side Investigates filed a public information request for all of the text messages Mayor Bass sent while she was on a trip to Africa and when she returned to L.A. after the fires broke out. Our investigative team has also submitted an information request for her emails around the time of the fires, and was told it could take until June to receive them.
The text messages Bass sent and received about the Palisades Fire were not saved. The mayor said her phone automatically deletes messages after 30 days.
Both state and city law require government officials to save official communications, but city lawyer David Michael said that those laws do not apply to text messages.
Bass said she turned the auto-delete function off and that her office is working to retrieve those text messages.
Meanwhile, a survey from the UC Berkey Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the L.A. Times, shows what people think about Bass' response to the wildfire - 40% voted "poor or very poor," 22% voted "fair," and 19% voted "excellent/good."
Concerns have also mounted over fire hydrant issues, low water pressure in the Palisades and limited resources within the Fire Department.
Former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), the union representing L.A. firefighters, and L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia highlighted that the fire department's operational budget was reduced by $17 million in the fiscal year 2024-25 adopted budget.
Bass and City Council members have refuted that figure, noting the LAFD received an increase in $50 million due to a new contract with UFLAC.
The Los Angeles Times has also reported on tensions between Bass, her recovery czar Steve Soboroff and county leaders.
Bass entered office in 2022 after defeating her opponent, billionaire Rick Caruso. She's the first woman and second Black mayor of Los Angeles.
In recent weeks, Caruso has made headlines with the launch of Steadfast LA, a private-sector-led recovery effort, sparking speculation about a possible mayoral run. He has yet to make an official announcement.
City News Service contributed to this report.
