Democratic strategist Jim Messina, a former White House deputy chief of staff for President Obama, delivered a stark warning about Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's reelection prospects ahead of Tuesday's California primary. In an interview on MS NOW, Messina said Bass “should be very worried no matter who’s in the runoff right now,” pointing to deep voter frustration.
Messina noted that public anger remains high over Bass’s management of the city’s response to the Pacific Palisades wildfires last year. “There are people very angry,” he said. “She’s acknowledged those mistakes. She’s got to prove to people that this election is about the future, not the past.”
The incumbent Democrat faces two challengers from opposite ends of the political spectrum: Democrat Nithya Raman and Republican Spencer Pratt. California’s top-two primary system means that Bass could end up facing either candidate in the general election, a scenario Messina says should alarm her campaign.
Messina, now CEO of the political consulting firm the Messina Group, emphasized the need for Bass to pivot her message. “When I run campaigns, I say to people all the time, these voters want to know where you’re going to take them, not where you’ve been,” he said. “And she’s having a lot of problems with that.”
The strategist credited Pratt’s unconventional social media strategy for his rise in the race. The former reality TV star, who lost his home in the LA fires, has used AI-generated imagery in campaign ads, including a controversial spot depicting LA residents and Secretary of State Marco Rubio throwing tomatoes at Bass. Bass accused Pratt of “taking on a violent trend.”
Messina acknowledged that Pratt’s tactics are not traditional but said they are effective. “I’m not saying he would be a good mayor. I’m not saying he’s a great candidate, but he’s really taken over this race with some really inventive AI outreach that I think all campaigns on both sides of the aisle can learn from,” he said. “We’ll find out tonight if it’s enough to get him to the runoff.”
The stakes are high for Bass, whose approval has suffered amid criticism of her leadership during the wildfires. The primary results will set the stage for a general election that could test the durability of her coalition. Messina’s warning echoes broader concerns among Democrats about the political fallout from natural disasters and the effectiveness of response efforts, as seen in other races where incumbents face scrutiny over crisis management.
Polls close at 8 p.m. local time (11 p.m. EDT), and the outcome will determine whether Bass can avoid a runoff against a candidate who has energized voters with a mix of grievance and innovation. For now, Messina’s assessment leaves little room for complacency: the mayor’s path to reelection is anything but secure.
