Karen Bass

Built World

In office

Vertical construction is underway at 2626 Cullen St. in Mid-City, where a six-story building with 70 affordable apartments is rising on a site that held five homes. The project uses density bonuses to exceed zoning limits, a tool Los Angeles is leaning on to accelerate housing production.

Updated Yesterday

Rule Changes

Signed the ordinance on October 29, 2026, according to her office

The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-0 on October 28 to ban new oil drilling and phase out existing wells within 20 years. Mayor Karen Bass signed the ordinance the next day, and it took effect November 3.

Updated 2 days ago

Rule Changes

Conceded race Nov. 5, 2026

Karen Bass conceded the Los Angeles mayor's race on Nov. 5, 2026, after late-counted ballots pushed City Council member Nithya Raman to 52.1%. Raman will be the city's first South Asian mayor and the first challenger to unseat an incumbent since Antonio Villaraigosa defeated James Hahn in 2005.

Updated 4 days ago

Rule Changes

In office

Los Angeles voters have chosen to raise the city sales tax and adopt six charter changes, with all eight city measures above the majority threshold in returns updated Nov. 4. County officials plan to certify the results Nov. 27.

Updated 4 days ago

Built World

In office since 2022

Metro says nighttime paving and temporary striping on Vermont Avenue begin in October, the first visible work on a 12.4-mile bus rapid transit line. Dedicated bus lanes will run from 120th Street in Athens to Hollywood Boulevard in Los Feliz.

Updated Oct 25

Rule Changes

Serving as LA's 43rd mayor

Metro's board voted unanimously on October 22 to rename the downtown Pershing Square station after Biddy Mason, who was born into slavery and became one of Los Angeles' first Black landowners. The subway stop on the B and D lines will join a stretch of downtown that already includes Biddy Mason Memorial Park, named for her since the 1990s.

Updated Oct 25

Built World

As of September 2026: In office since 2022

About 1,360 homes under the flight paths around Los Angeles International Airport are in line for new sound insulation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) obligated $22.8 million on September 15, with the city's airport authority handling the work.

Updated Sep 29

Built World

As of September 2026: Leading city preparations for the 2028 Olympics

Los Angeles International Airport is getting $289.3 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to build a new access road that separates airport traffic from the gridlock on Sepulveda Boulevard. The award funds Phase 3 of a 17,410-foot roadway serving Terminals 1-8 and B, covering construction of 7,955 feet.

Updated Sep 17

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Facing intensifying scrutiny over after-action report modifications and budget decisions; political position increasingly precarious

On January 7, 2025, two wildfires exploded across Los Angeles County with unprecedented speed. The Palisades Fire in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Eaton Fire in Altadena spread at the rate of three football fields per minute, driven by Santa Ana winds gusting to 100 mph. Within hours, 200,000 people fled their homes. The fires killed at least 31 people directly, with researchers estimating 440 total deaths including those from heart and lung conditions aggravated by smoke and stress. By the time containment came 24 days later, 16,000 structures were destroyed and $150 billion in losses tallied—making it the costliest disaster in U.S. history.

Updated May 19

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: First term, in office since 2022

California raised its minimum wage to $16.90 on January 1, 2026, and closed the loophole on its failed 2014 plastic bag ban. These are the latest moves in a decades-long experiment testing whether aggressive regulation can coexist with economic growth.

Updated May 19

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Managing city emergency operations and coordinating evacuations in burn scar areas

A Christmas Day atmospheric river dumped up to 12 inches of rain on Southern California's mountains, triggering mudslides that buried roads in Wrightwood and forced helicopter rescues from rooftops. More than 120 emergency responders rescued residents trapped in vehicles and homes overnight Christmas Eve.

Updated May 16