A GOP-supporting Democrat could soon control Los Angeles

Tuesday’s nonpartisan primary for mayor of Los Angeles is going to have reverberations well beyond California. 

The race to represent the country’s second-largest city pits Democratic Rep. Karen Bass against Rick Caruso, a billionaire real estate developer and longtime Republican who switched his party affiliation to Democratic this year to run in the primary. 

Bass is a known name in Democratic circles, having served in Congress since 2011. She’s been a member of the Congressional Black Caucus since she joined the House, she was on a shortlist of choices to be President Joe Biden’s vice presidential running mate, and she is backed by progressive groups like EMILY’s List, the pro-choice organization NARAL and several labor organizations. 

Caruso is also well-known — but for some less favorable reasons, at least among Democrats. 

The Los Angeles Times reported he first changed his party affiliation from Republican to “no party preference” back in 2011, when he was (also) considering a run for mayor.

In 2016, Caruso changed his affiliation back to Republican and served as the California co-chair for Republican presidential candidate John Kasich’s campaign. (Even after Kasich bowed out, Caruso remained critical of Donald Trump in the lead-up to the 2016 election, and he has said through a spokesperson that he didn’t vote for the former president. He didn’t reveal whom he did vote for.)

Then, in January, Caruso switched his party affiliation officially to Democratic. This pivot should cement his reputation as, at best, a political opportunist.

Indeed, Caruso’s strategy in this race is no secret: He’s hoping to ride a wave of anger over homelessness and crime in Los Angeles. He’s also relying on millions upon millions of dollars in targeted ads and high-profile celebrity endorsements. 

So if you take your political cues from Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg or Gwyneth Paltrow, Caruso is your man. But if you’re not an uber-rich Angeleno, the prospects under a Caruso administration don't seem nearly as promising. 

And that's because, practically speaking, he’s a dyed-in-the-wool conservative. Let’s count the ways. 

For one thing, he’s refusing to release his tax returns. He’s also been endorsed by Bill Bratton, the former New York police chief who popularized the controversial and widely criticized practice of “broken windows’’ policing. On top of that, Caruso has vowed to hire more police and threatened unhoused Angelenos with arrest if they don’t get off the streets. 

"The minute we have a bed for you, you move into the bed, or otherwise there’s a consequence,” he said in February.

To be clear, Los Angeles is experiencing an increase in some types of crime, and homelessness has been a persistent issue throughout California for several years. But Caruso’s conservative solutions for these issues have been tried — and — criticized elsewhere.

So while mayoral races don't always have national implications, a win for Caruso on Tuesday could indicate a broader trend: a cascade of ostensibly liberal cities turning to decidedly Republican-sounding politicians for help.