For much of her tenure, Mayor Karen Bass has taken a strategic, if not puzzling, approach to her relationship with Councilmember Traci Park. Despite their stark ideological differences—Bass, a progressive leader focused on housing and social services, and Park, a former Republican and one of the Council’s most conservative voices—the mayor has gone to great lengths to court Park’s support.
Bass’ outreach has included backing Park’s hardline stance on homeless sweeps, tacitly supporting her efforts to block the Venice Dell affordable housing project, and appearing alongside her at various district events. The rationale seemed clear: building alliances across the political spectrum to advance her broader agenda. But that alliance may have hit a breaking point.
Park was one of only two councilmembers who voted in favor of reinstating former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, whom Bass had fired in February over what the mayor described as failures in the city’s response to the devastating Pacific Palisades Fire. With her vote, Park directly challenged Bass on one of the most controversial personnel decisions of her administration. The question now is: will Bass finally break from Park, or will she continue to accommodate her conservative policies?
Bass’ approach to Park has been pragmatic, if not frustrating for progressives. By extending an olive branch to a right-leaning councilmember, the mayor likely hoped to neutralize opposition to her broader agenda. But in the process, she appeared to give Park political cover for policies that disproportionately harm vulnerable communities—most notably, her aggressive stance on encampment sweeps, which have displaced unhoused Angelenos without providing long-term housing solutions.
While some saw Bass’ strategy as a necessary evil in a divided city, others viewed it as a betrayal of the progressive values she championed during her campaign. Park’s vote in favor of reinstating Crowley may be the moment that forces Bass to reconsider whether this alliance is still worth maintaining.
By supporting Crowley’s appeal, Park has positioned herself in direct opposition to Bass. The former fire chief, backed by the firefighters’ union, claimed she was fired for speaking out about the department’s budget shortfalls and resources. Park, whose district includes Pacific Palisades—one of the hardest-hit areas in the January fire—aligned herself with Crowley’s assertion that she was punished for honesty rather than incompetence and argued that significant personnel decisions should wait until all the investigations have concluded.
Bass, on the other hand, painted Crowley’s dismissal as a matter of accountability. She argued that the former chief failed to adequately prepare for the fire and did not communicate urgent risks to city leadership. The overwhelming 13-2 vote against Crowley’s reinstatement suggests that most of the Council agreed with Bass.
Park’s decision to break ranks raises an obvious question: If Bass was willing to go out of her way to work with Park before, will she still feel the need to do so now that Park has publicly opposed her on such a high-profile issue?
This could be a moment of recalibration for Bass. If her strategy of engaging with Park was aimed at securing cooperation, it may have run its course. The mayor no longer needs to win over Park to govern effectively—she has strong support from the majority of the council and a mandate from voters to implement progressive policies. And Park has shown little willingness to reciprocate Bass’ goodwill. Time and again, she has taken positions more aligned with business interests and law-and-order conservatives than with the mayor’s vision for a more equitable Los Angeles.
Bass could use this moment to pivot back toward her base and draw a clearer contrast between her administration’s goals and Park’s agenda. That means rejecting Park’s obstruction of affordable housing, pushing back against her punitive approach to homelessness, and making it clear that her administration will not be dragged to the right in the name of political pragmatism.
Bass has long positioned herself as a leader who can unify Los Angeles, but unity cannot come at the cost of core values. Park has now demonstrated that she is not a reliable ally—and rather than continuing to accommodate her, Bass may finally have a reason to distance herself. The fire chief vote may be remembered as a turning point. Will Bass take it as an opportunity to reaffirm her progressive agenda and build stronger coalitions with councilmembers who share her vision? Or will she continue trying to win over a councilmember who has made it clear she is more comfortable obstructing than collaborating?
Los Angeles voters—particularly those who backed Bass on the promise of meaningful progress—will be watching.
