Basketball icon Magic Johnson publicly endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday (May 11), boosting the Democrats’ bid for a second term in the closely watched mayoral race.
Bass shared a video of Johnson’s support on social media, where the former Los Angeles Lakers star praised his leadership on homelessness and public safety.
“He’s doing a great job. Mayor Bass needs to have a second term and I’m excited to say that,” Johnson said.
“Listen, you’ve taken on that tough job and you’ve done a great job and we all appreciate your efforts and what you’re doing and we look forward to helping you continue your mission and what you have in store — your vision for the city,” he added.
A rift is emerging between Johnson and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss
Johnson’s endorsement also highlighted a political rift with longtime Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who reportedly supported Republican candidate Spencer Pratt in the race.
The various endorsements drew attention due to Johnson’s long association with the Lakers organization and the Buss family.
Johnson said his decades-long friendship with Bass played a key role in his endorsement, along with what he described as progress in reducing homelessness and reducing the homicide rate in Los Angeles.
Wildfire response remains a major concern at the plant
While Johnson praised Bass’ leadership, he did not address criticism of her handling of the devastating 2025 wildfires, which killed at least a dozen people and caused billions of dollars in damage across Los Angeles County.
Pratt has repeatedly targeted Bass over the city’s emergency response to the fires, particularly the destruction in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
Bass faced scrutiny as she attended the inauguration of Ghana’s new president as the bushfire crisis intensified.
The disaster became one of the defining issues in the campaign, with displaced residents continuing to face complex rebuilding and recovery processes months later.
Spencer Pratt promotes frustration with city government
Former MTV reality personality Spencer Pratt officially launched his mayoral campaign earlier this year, positioning himself as a conservative outsider focused on government dysfunction and public frustration.
“The Los Angeles system is not without problems,” Pratt said when he announced his campaign in January. “It’s fundamentally broken.
Pratt’s campaign began exactly one year after his home was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire.
Although Republicans face heavy odds in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, Pratt tapped into voters’ broader frustrations with homelessness, public safety, wildfire preparedness and the rising cost of living.
Nithya Raman emerges as the main challenger
Bass also faces pressure from the political left through City Councilman Nithya Raman, a progressive Democrat who has gained momentum in recent months.
Raman focused heavily on housing policy, urban planning and governance reforms during the campaign.
During recent debates, Bass and Raman clashed over homelessness policy, affordable housing, police funding and disaster preparedness ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
Bass defended her homelessness initiative, saying the program has helped move thousands of people from encampments into temporary and permanent housing.
She credited herself with reducing street homelessness by 17.5%.
However, Raman criticized the initiative as too costly and argued that the city needed wider structural reforms.
Close race before primary vote
Early voting is already underway ahead of the June primary election.
The poll suggests Bass is likely to advance to the November runoff against either Pratt or Raman, though analysts see Raman as Bass’s strongest long-term challenge.
The plant is being developed as Los Angeles faces growing economic pressures, a housing affordability crisis, ongoing wildfire recovery and concerns about the future of Hollywood productions in the city.
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