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Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso expressed “extreme concern” over Nithya Raman’s plans for the LAPD if elected mayor while attending an event with Karen Bass Tuesday — but stopped short of endorsing the incumbent.
The billionaire developer unloaded on Raman’s plan to boot LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, saying “I do show extreme concern when a candidate is talking about firing a chief of police.”
“I don’t think we need LAPD being a lab experiment for the DSA,” Caruso added, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America, whose LA chapter has endorsed Raman.
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Raman has repeatedly vowed to replace McDonnell if elected, claiming the LAPD appeared to be protecting federal ICE agents during operations in LA.
Bass, who hired McDonnell two years ago, has defended the chief and warned that dumping him before the 2028 Olympic Games could throw the department into disarray.
Caruso praised the mayor’s backing of McDonnell, but when reporters pressed him on an endorsement, he wasn’t biting.
“I can’t answer that tonight or today. I’ll let you know,” he said.
It’s déjà vu for Caruso, who also ducked giving an endorsement at a September event with Bass, calling both candidates “tough choices.”
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The developer spent more than $100 million of his own fortune trying to beat Bass in 2022, outspending her 11 to 1 before losing by nearly 10 percentage points.
He skipped this year’s race despite speculation he would mount another challenge.
Caruso and Bass have found common ground in the aftermath of the 2025 Palisades Fire, despite Caruso’s past criticism of Bass’s response.
He has played a prominent role in rebuilding Pacific Palisades and Altadena, and joined Bass Tuesday at his Palisades Village shopping center to announce a program aimed at speeding up utility services for development projects.
