Speaking to ABC7 Exclusive, Rick Caruso Says He’s Voting for Karen Bass in LA Mayoral Race

LOS ANGELES (KABC)– With eight days to go until the election, former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso says he’s voting for the man who beat him four years ago, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

“I think like most Angelenos, I struggled with the choices that we had, but I thought about it a lot, especially this weekend,” Caruso told ABC7 political reporter Josh Haskell in an exclusive interview.

“I looked at the records and I made a clear decision as to who I’m going to vote for…And it’s going to be Mayor Bass,” Caruso said.

Speaking about Mayor Bass, Caruso said, “Over the last few months, almost a year, we’ve been working together and I’ve seen a change. She worked hard to learn from past mistakes.

RELATED: Los Angeles mayoral race: Bass admits mistakes on homelessness, criticizes Raman for dithering on key positions

Caruso praised Bass’ support for rebuilding Pacific Palisades, expediting permitting and tapping city resources, particularly to help Caruso open his Palisades Village shopping center in August.

Mayor Bass responded to Caruso’s support by saying in part: “Rick and I have a long history of working together to solve big problems…I am honored to receive his support and look forward to working with him over the next four years to solve our city’s major problems.”

Caruso criticized Bass’s first term, which saw an increase in homelessness, a fluctuation in crime and the devastating Palisades fire. But Caruso says he loves this city and has been impressed recently by Bass and his team.

“The mayor learned four years on the job and she made a lot of mistakes. I was critical of her. I was honest, but I’m also honest when she tried to do the right things and she did the right thing,” Caruso said.

“It’s not just about helping me. I haven’t asked for any personal help. It’s about helping these communities that have been so devastated. And she’s been open to suggestions on how to get help, public-private partnerships and working together. So I was impressed by that. She wasn’t stubborn about it,” he added.

RELATED: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Rick Caruso Reunite for Palisades Recreation Center Grand Opening

Caruso, a former LAPD police commissioner, said he was concerned about Bass’ opponent in the race, Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman. Caruso said that was one of the main reasons he was speaking out now.

I think the positions she has taken with Chief McDonnell are reckless. I think it shows from my perspective as a former police commissioner and chairman of the commission, the importance of this work cannot be overstated. And Jimmy McDonnell is considered one of the best police chiefs in this country. The mayor made the right choice in appointing him. And Nithya Raman kept doubling down, saying she was going to fire him,” Caruso said.

“It’s not going to be good for the city. It’s going to set us back years, which we don’t want to do. It’s not good for the morale of the LAPD. And we’re a designated LAPD that we need to build up the force, and recruiting has been difficult. And so when you have these kinds of changes proposed at the top, you’re just making it even more difficult to keep our city safe, especially in light of the Olympics.”

While Caruso doesn’t take that as an endorsement, he said he wants to be clear about who he supports. ABC7 has reached out to the Raman and Bass campaigns for reaction and will update as soon as we hear back.