Recall Effort Launched Against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

Voters in Los Angeles have begun a recall effort against Mayor Karen Bass (D-Calif.), as she faces widespread backlash over her poor management of the wildfires in her city.

According to Fox News, the recall petition’s website launched on Tuesday. The petition itself will need the signatures of at least 15% of all registered voters in the city in order to trigger a special election. The recall campaign claims to have bipartisan support, united in opposition to an unpopular and ineffective Democratic mayor.

Bass was widely criticized for her initial response to the wildfires that ravaged southern California in January. At the start of the fires, Bass was in the African country of Ghana for their presidential inauguration. Her subsequent return and response was also panned for being slow and inefficient. Her efforts were even criticized by President Donald Trump during his visit to the area.

“The LAFD’s budget was slashed by more than $17 million, stripping critical resources from firefighters as Los Angeles faces escalating wildfire threats and emergency response challenges,” reads the RecallBass.com website. “At a time when rapid response is more crucial than ever, officials are underfunding the very department responsible for protecting lives and property.”

In addition to the drastic budget cuts for the LAFD, Bass also fired the previous Fire Chief, Kristin Crowley; Crowley, who is appealing her termination, had previously warned Bass and other city officials about the risks of the department being underfunded and understaffed.

One of Bass’s political strategists, Doug Herman, issued a statement dismissing the recall petition as “another extreme right-wing political stunt designed to divide Los Angeles when we need to move forward.”

Bass was previously a congresswoman from California’s 37th district before being elected mayor in 2022. She was also allegedly on the short list to be Joe Biden’s running mate in the 2020 presidential election.