LA Mayor Karen Bass Accused of Xenophobia for Mocking Candidate's Accent
Bass's comments on gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton's British accent and assertion that an election is unnecessary have drawn sharp criticism.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing accusations of xenophobia and undermining democratic processes following remarks she made about a gubernatorial candidate and the necessity of elections in California. During an appearance on the iHeart podcast "Flagrant and Funny," Bass commented on the state's gubernatorial race, asserting that the election was already decided.
"The governor's race right now is over," Bass stated. "Our governor's name is Xavier Becerra. You don't need an election on November 3rd." She further elaborated, "A Republican cannot win in this state, and yet a Republican with a British accent?"
Her comments were in reference to Republican candidate Steve Hilton, an immigrant from the United Kingdom, who is running against incumbent Democrat Xavier Becerra. Polls have consistently shown Becerra with a significant lead in the deep-blue state.
Backlash and Accusations
Hilton responded to Bass's remarks, calling them "stupid, personal insults." He highlighted the perceived hypocrisy of politicians who emphasize democracy and anti-racism while allegedly attacking individuals based on their accent or origin. "These are the people who lecture us all the time about racism, attacking people because of their accent? Attacking an immigrant — is that what Karen Bass is all about?" Hilton asked.
He also criticized Bass for her comments about the election's necessity, stating, "Rather than making stupid, personal insults, why don't you clean up your city, Karen Bass?"
Other figures have also weighed in on Bass's statements. Former mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt commented, "This is what happens when you have one-party rule: these politicians take you for granted and don’t even try to earn your vote. If you Democrats actually want your politicians to do something for you, you need to hand them an L once in a while."
Mayor's Own Re-election Bid
Meanwhile, Mayor Bass is currently facing her own re-election challenge in Los Angeles against socialist city council candidate Nithya Raman. A recent poll indicated Raman has an 11-point lead over Bass, a development the Bass campaign has dismissed as an "outlier."
"One outlier poll which got the June primary wrong isn't reflective of the energy we see when talking to voters every day and what every other poll indicates — this is going to be a close race," campaign spokesman Alex Stack told the California Post. The campaign has stated that they are focused on voters and that this poll does not reflect the reality they are seeing on the ground.