Mayor Karen Bass announced her endorsement of Antonio Villaraigosa in the 2026 governor’s race Sept. 9. Bass and Villaraigosa are longtime friend and political allies.
Courtesy photo
Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass has thrown her support behind former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — a longtime friend and political ally — to be the next governor of California.
“For me, this is a special moment,” Bass said a Crenshaw district news conference Sept. 9 attended by various faith and community leaders. “I know I have stood at a podium endorsing my brother from another mother on numerous occasions. Because, in fact, we have known each other and worked together our entire adult lives.
“Many, many years before we ever thought that we would wind up being elected officials, but when we were fighting on issues that were common to South L.A. and East L.A., we have always believed that the way you bring about change is you do it together. You build coalitions because our issues and our problems are similar.”
She hailed Villaraigosa — also a former Assembly speaker in addition to being the 41st mayor of Los Angeles — for his work on issues ranging from children’s health to the environment to the need for a subway/light rail line in the Crenshaw area, which is now running as the K Line.
“I know that as California’s next governor, you are talking about somebody who knows the Legislature, who knows the legislative process, who knows how you build relationships, who knows our city,” Bass said. “And I think as we are in this crossroads in our country … we need a leader like Antonio Villaraigosa to be the next governor of California.”
Also attending the press conference were City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and council members Curren Price and Heather Hutt as well as Compton Mayor Emma Sharif,
Recent polls have put former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter as the leader in the crowded field of gubernatorial hopefuls. A recent Emerson College poll showed Porter with 18% of the vote, followed by Republicans Steve Hilton at 12% and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 7 %, followed by Villaraigosa at 5%.
Villaraigosa was in a celebratory mood as he accepted the endorsement from Bass, whom he said he has known for more than 50 years.
“We’ve been working together across this town, focused on the issues that people care about — safe streets, clean neighborhoods, fair distribution of resources,” he said. “We’ve stood up together decade after decade.
“But let’s be clear. This isn’t just about friendship,” Villaraigosa added. “We aren’t here today because we’re all friends. We’re here today because these times are difficult. We face big challenges in this state.
“We need a broad coalition of people in this state to take on those challenges. And I’ve said, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ I’m here today and that’s why I’m so proud to be here with all of you,
“I’m here today because there was as Civil Rights Act,” Villaraigosa continued. “I’m here today because there was a voting rights act. I’m here today because people fought to open up this country to us. … But they didn’t just say we want to open up the country. We want you to lead us and unite us right now in these tough times.”
Villaraigosa served in the state Assembly from 1994 to 2000, serving as Assembly speaker his last two years in office. He was defeated by Jim Hahn in the 2001 mayor’s race in Los Angeles, but defeated Hahn four years later and was reelected to a second term in 2009.
