A Los Angeles City Council member has said that she will vote for Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, as the choice represents the lesser of two evils.
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choice → say → evils
Councilwoman Traci Park told her constituents at a town hall on Wednesday that she has 'deep concerns' about Bass's leadership and that voters have 'every right' to be frustrated with the mayor.
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voters → tell → mayor
But Park emphasized that the alternative mayoral candidate in the upcoming election, hardline progressive Councilwoman Nithya Raman, would be disastrous for the city.
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candidate → emphasize → city
'I know you think things now are bad, and I won't argue with you that some things are,' said Park, who is herself a Democrat.
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who → know → you
'But they can actually get worse, and I am very, very concerned about what the future of our city looks like if Nithya Raman were to become our mayor,' the councilwoman added.
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councilwoman → get → city
Park put it simply: 'I’m not endorsing Karen Bass, but I am voting for Karen Bass.
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I → put → Bass
The councilwoman said that she and Bass have been at odds on various major issues and that she has 'personally been deeply frustrated and angry with our current mayor on a number of occasions.
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she → say → occasions
But Park also credited the incumbent with maintaining a professional working relationship and said that Bass has supported her initiatives and given her the space to govern her district.
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Bass → credit → district
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park (pictured) said that she plans to vote for Mayor Karen Bass because the alternative candidate, Nithya Raman, is far worse
Park said she has 'deep concerns' about Bass's (pictured) leadership, but said the mayor has given her the space to govern and has maintained a professional working relationship
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mayor → picture → relationship
On the other hand, Park accused Raman of being politically performative and criticized the candidate's proposed policies
The councilwoman then criticized Raman's proposed policies and accused the candidate of being politically performative.
Park represents City Council District 11, which covers the Westside of Los Angeles, including the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that was devastated by wildfires in early 2025.
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that → accuse → 2025
The natural disaster and the lackluster response from Los Angeles officials became a key topic in the city's mayoral election.
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disaster → become → election
The issue was hammered particularly hard by former candidate Spencer Pratt, who lost his home in the fires and ran as a Republican mayoral candidate.
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who → hammer → candidate
Pratt received 26 percent of the vote in the June 2 primary, compared to Raman's 29 percent and Bass's 34 percent, which led to his ouster from the race and a runoff election between the two frontrunners.
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which → receive → frontrunners
Park accused Raman of showing up to the Palisades during her campaign only once it 'became a political pitstop.'
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it → accuse → campaign
The councilwoman said that Raman never went to the neighborhood in the aftermath of the fire despite most other city officials and even delegations from across the US visiting at the time.
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officials → say → time
She also said that Raman has criticized the city's recovery efforts but the candidate never asked Park what assistance her district might need.
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district → say → assistance
Park then said that Raman's policy proposals are 'contrary' to the interests of people in Council District 11.
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proposals → say → District
Park is pictured speaking to her constituents at a town hall on Wednesday, where she said: 'I’m not endorsing Karen Bass, but I am voting for Karen Bass'
Park's city council district covers the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which was ravaged by wildfires in early 2025.
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which → picture → 2025
The fire is pictured
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fire → picture → ?
Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt ran on a platform criticizing the city's response to the Palisades fire, but he lost in the primary.
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he → run → primary
He is pictured on primary election night
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He → picture → night
She accused the candidate of wanting to defund and abolish the police, a critique that has also been levied by the city's police union.
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that → accuse → union
When Raman campaigned for city council in 2020, that position was indeed part of her platform.
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position → campaign → platform
She has since publicly distanced herself from the idea, but critics maintain that it is still one of her goals.
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it → distance → goals
Raman has voted in favor of city budgets that would increase police funding, but she has also voted in opposition of a proposal to hire 170 new officers.
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she → vote → officers
Park further said that Raman has voted against all of her efforts to implement laws that would ban encampments within 500 feet of public schools and parks.
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that → say → schools
She also said that Raman would refuse to prosecute misdemeanor cases.
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Raman → say → cases
Under California law, crimes including assault, simple battery and theft of goods under $950 in value are considered misdemeanors.
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crimes → include → value
Park encouraged her constituents to vote for Bass over Raman, though she acknowledged that it is 'a very, very tough ask.'
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it → encourage → Raman
Park accused Raman of wanting to defund the police and said the candidate only began showing interest in the Palisades once it became politically convenient
Park urged her constituents to vote for Bass, though she acknowledged that was a 'tough ask.'
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that → accuse → Bass
Park and Bass are pictured hugging
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Park → picture → ?
'I know that is very, very hard for people that are looking for change,' Park said.
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Park → know → change
'And I hear you.
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I → hear → you
I want some change too.
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I → want → change
But the alternative does not actually get us where we want to be.
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we → get → us
I think it actually impedes our progress, and unfortunately will take us back to where we were.'
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we → think → us
The Daily Mail has reached out to the campaigns for Raman and Bass for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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