Comments
POLITICS - Looking presidential in appearance and presentation, billionaire developer Rick Caruso appeared on HBO’s Real Time Friday evening as it appears a second race with LA Mayor Karen Bass is all but probable.
Caruso, a Los Angeles developer, civic leader and businessman, appeared on "Real Time with Bill Maher" on January 17th, to discuss the city's preparedness for wildfires. Caruso highlighted concerns about inadequate vegetation management and water supply issues, emphasizing that the recent Palisades fire was a foreseeable disaster. He stated, "Six years ago, we had a fire in Brentwood... I said, if that fire travels, it’s going to come through and wipe out the Palisades. I’m so sad that I was right,” offered this candidate in waiting.
During their conversation, both Caruso and Maher acknowledged former President Donald Trump's previous remarks on the importance of brush clearing to prevent fires. Caruso agreed that Trump had a valid point regarding the necessity of vegetation management.
Caruso also shared that his Palisades Village shopping mall remained unscathed during the fires due to the use of nonflammable materials and the presence of private firefighters. He advocated for rebuilding efforts to incorporate similar preventive measures, such as using fire-resistant materials and placing power lines underground.
Caruso, who spent over $100 million dollars of his own fortune in 2022 only to lose by some 10 percentage points has stayed close to the electorate in newsletters seeking voter input on a variety of issues while endorsing the candidacy of LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman in his lopsided victory last November over one-term incumbent George Gascon.
Caruso, a former Republican turned independent and now a Democrat, has been part of a contingent of political moderates and elected officials seeking to move the left leaning Democratic Party towards the middle, especially in wake of the loss of the Presidency, US Senate and retention of the House of Representatives by Republicans in the 2024 elections. With Donald Trump now back in office, California has few political allies in Washington with reduced seniority in the Senate with the election of Adam Schiff.
Trump apparently will visit Los Angeles this Friday regarding the state of the wildfires and is anxious to discuss the impending 2028 Summer Olympics as well with city and state officials.
For the causes of these wildfires in Los Angeles and California more broadly are complex, often involving multiple factors rather than a single entity or individual to "blame."
Mayor Karen Bass has found herself in disputes with LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, who has been serving as the Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department since March 25, 2022, marking a historic milestone as the department's first female chief.
Crowley is the highest paid chief in the nation earning nearly $440,000 annually. She began her career with the LAFD in 2000 and has held various positions, including firefighter, paramedic, engineer, fire inspector, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, fire marshal, and deputy chief.
In recent times, Chief Crowley has faced criticism regarding the department's handling of the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.
A group of current and retired firefighters issued a letter expressing concerns over her leadership during the crisis. Additionally, there were unfounded rumors about her dismissal, which were promptly refuted by Mayor Karen Bass's office, confirming that Chief Crowley remains in her position.
Throughout her tenure, Chief Crowley has been an advocate for diversity and inclusion within the department, emphasizing the importance of a workforce that reflects the community it serves. She has also been involved in various leadership roles, including serving as a facilitator and instructor at the Los Angeles Fire Department Leadership Academy and chairing the Fire Code Committee for Los Angeles.
But at the heart of the matter is could the devastation done by these fires been avoided?
It’s a complicated issue and the political finger-pointing by the likes of Crowley, Bass, Caruso and others have taken center stage of sorts in this ongoing crisis of how best to mitigate these fires moving forward.
Climate change continues to play an increasing role in these fires as warming temperatures, and prolonged droughts have made conditions prone to fire. Climate change has intensified extreme weather patterns, such as the strong winds as witnessed in the Palisades.
Many wildfires are caused by human negligence, such as discarded cigarettes, campfires left unattended, or sparks from equipment as well as intentional acts of arson are also responsible for some fires.
City Officials are currently investigating the reason for this particular wildfire.
Electrical equipment from utility companies (e.g., power lines, transformers) has been implicated in some major wildfires. For example, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has been found liable for several devastating wildfires in Northern California and Southern California Edison (SCE) has also been linked to fires in Southern California in the past. High winds can also knock down power lines, creating sparks that ignite fires.
Insufficient investment in fire prevention, forest management, and emergency response resources has also been criticized as contributing to the wildfire crisis as a reduction in the LAFD’s budget has also been looked at as another preventable error in financial resources.
But rather than assigning blame to a single source, it’s more accurate to view California wildfires as the result of interconnected factors, including environmental, human, and systemic causes.
For a Bass/Caruso rematch rather much resembles the races in New York City when Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins defeated incumbent Ed Koch for renomination to then defeat Republican Rudy Giuliani in the 1989 general election.
Giuliani would bounce back four years later and defeat Dinkins.
Koch, who had served as mayor since 1978, ran for an unprecedented fourth term in office but was defeated in the Democratic Primary by Dinkins who went on to narrowly defeat the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Rudolph Giuliani, the candidate of both the Republican and Liberal Parties with 50.42% of the vote to Giuliani's 47.84%.
By 1993, the city was suffering from a spike in unemployment associated with a nationwide recession, and with a rise in local unemployment rates from 6.7% in 1989 to 11.1% in 1992. Although the crime rate had begun to fall during the Dinkins administration, the incumbent suffered badly from a perception that crime and racial tension was uncontrolled in the city, following events such as the 1991 Crown Heights riot.
In 1992, Giuliani was a key speaker at a New York City PBA event opposing Dinkins, in which Giuliani sain the morale of the police department of the City of New York is so low is one reason and one reason alone: David Dinkins!" The rally quickly devolved into a riot, with nearly 4,000 off-duty police officers storming New York City Hall and blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Giuliani defeated Dinkins in the 1993 general election, the first time a Republican had served as mayor since the days of John V. Lindsay.
But has this wildfire crisis only intensified the probability of a Bass/Caruso rematch?
A Caruso-Bass rematch in 2026 depends on several factors, including Caruso’s political ambitions, public support, and the political landscape leading up to the Los Angeles mayoral election.
What could influence the likelihood?
The Maher interview strongly hinted a desire by Caruso to give it another go.
If Caruso believes he can mount a stronger campaign, and with fundraising not an issue, Caruso would clear the field of any other serious rivals.
Secondly, are voters dissatisfied with Bass’s leadership, and has her performance regarding these fires damaged her reputation with the LA electorate?
With recall petitions already in circulation, a successful reelection come 2026 is already at-risk.
For Caruso’s significant financial resources will allow him to self-fund another high-profile campaign, which makes a rematch viable. More importantly, the relatively close outcome of their 2022 race suggests that Caruso had substantial support, which he can replicate again running against this time, a flawed incumbent versus a popular member of Congress.
For the probability of a 2026 rematch ultimately depends on both individuals’ decisions and broader political factors, but as of now, no specific indicators suggest Caruso is not at least seriously considering another run for Los Angeles Mayor.
(Nick Antonicello is a thirty-two year resident of Venice who covered the 2022 LA mayoral campaign. Have a take or a tip all things political? Contact him via e-mail at [email protected])
