(The Center Square) – A petition is underway for recalling Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over her wildfire response.
The effort would need to collect a minimum of approximately 330,000 signatures to force a recall, during which voters would also be able to select their choice of replacement mayor to serve the rest of the term.
Bass was criticized for leaving for Africa despite receiving advance warning of dangerous fire risks amid devastating wind gusts and low humidity after a period of little to no rain.
Bass ordered an investigation into why she was allowed to leave for Ghana as part of a Biden administration delegation to the nation’s presidential inauguration. The mayor later said former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley downplayed risks.
The mayor fired Crowley in February.
Crowley has since launched a last-ditch bid to retain her post, which notably was backed by representatives of fire-damaged communities, including former mayoral candidate and billionaire developer Rick Caruso, who narrowly lost against Bass in 2022.
The former fire chief went Tuesday before the Los Angeles City Council, which voted 13-2 against reinstating her.
Crowley’s reinstatement was supported by Councilwoman Traci Park, whose Westside district faced severe destruction from the Palisades Fire, and Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, whose San Fernando Valley district was heavily damaged by the Hurst Fire — signaling displeasure or disagreement with the mayor.
Bass’s political strategist, Douglas Herman, dismissed the recall effort against the mayor, telling the Los Angeles Times it’s “nothing more than another extreme right-wing political stunt designed to divide Los Angeles when we need to move forward.”
A recent recall effort for former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, who won only 38.5% of the vote in the 2024 election and lost to Nathan Hochman, failed to secure enough verified signatures to make it to the ballot. However, with a lower threshold than the countywide district attorney’s office, the mayoral recall may have a better chance.
Organizers for the recall said they would not respond to media requests at the moment, but added that more information would be forthcoming.
