In the LA Mayor race, Hollywood splits into two camps: Team Bass and Team Caruso

With the June 7 California primary looming, Hollywood is already full of fundraisers for the Los Angeles mayoral race fronts. “I’ve never seen anything crazier in my life,” said Jay Sures, a Rick Caruso supporter. “Hollywood, it’s broken. You have Rick Caruso followers. “You have Karen Bass supporters, and then you have shadow supporters who are going to vote for Rick.”

Ellen Goldsmith-Wen, a longtime supporter of Bass, puts it this way: “People inside and outside the industry are angry and fearful of losing their city to crime and homelessness. They are also excited by the inhumanity they see on the streets every day. Most people I know in the industry support Karen Bass. ”

This industry division is similar to recent general polls that show Democratic congressman Bass serving six terms, in fact, even with political recruiting developer Caruso (a former Republican who is now a Democrat). The mayoral primaries are multi-party, with the top two winners contesting general elections in November.

Los Angeles City Councilor Kevin de Leon ranked third in the UC Berkeley poll in early April, with Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Foyer and community organizer Gina Viola at 2% or less. While De Leon has supporters like Frank Gehry, much of Hollywood seems to ally itself with both a progressive political insider and a moderately business-oriented merry-go-round. Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Dana Walden, CAA’s Brian Laurent and Scooter Brown are Caruso supporters, while Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel, Showtime’s David Nevins and ICM’s Chris Silberman are all Bass supporters. (Los Angeles mayoral candidate Joe Buscaino dropped out of the race on Thursday to support Caruso.)

“I think the buzz in this mayoral race is that he’s a civil servant versus a business mogul,” said Vanessa Spencer, casting director and Bass supporter. “A lot of people in Hollywood who love shiny things and a good classic Hollywood fairy tale about the ‘White Knight’ are all in Rick…and a lot of them feel good about voting for him because he’s changed his party affiliation. Now anyone with any intelligence knows that he had to do this to get someone in Hollywood or to help generously, especially in public. But let’s face it, Rick doesn’t really have a heart set on the democratic agenda or even the progressive politics that LA needs right now if we’re going to grow as a city. ”

High-profile crimes, including the brutal murder of Jacqueline Avant, and the Los Angeles homeless crisis are at the forefront of the minds of many industry voters. “We know we are in the abyss, whether we lose the city of angels or save it,” said Irena Medavoi, a Caruso supporter, who considered Avanti a friend. “I want to be honest with you. The Hollywood community wants to feel safe. When people we know are murdered and robbed… we’ve never seen that. So if you pay the higher bills, where do you go?

Many of Medavoy and Caruso’s supporters believe he will be tougher on crime and point to his pledge to support the removal of prosecutor George Gascon, who has come under attack from critics, as a moderate treatment of crime.

At the same time, bass amps believe their approach will be more subtle and more effective. “What I appreciate about Ms. Bass is that while she understands the feeling of being deprived of money for the police, which is a terrible slogan, it’s clear that we need to redistribute some of that money and give it back to other programs to help the police and communities, says Spencer.

Bass supporter Hannah Linkenhacker, director of engagement at the entertainment law firm Johnson Shapiro, also worries that Caruso’s tougher stance could marginalize already-affected communities. “I think we can have a fair justice system and also have a safe city. Personally, I think Karen can handle both priorities. I’m very concerned that the rock is moving in the opposite direction, just as we start to turn the corner on “criminal justice reform”.

Personal relationships with candidates also helped change the preferences of many experts, including Caruso supporter Brian Grazer. “He is organizationally strong, very strong. “He sets deadlines for every project that has been completed,” said Grazer. “I’m on the USC board. And I saw how he immediately volunteered to be the acting chairman of the board. And he was successful on every level very quickly, at USC when they needed him.”

Razes also protests against Caruso for his business skills. “Such a bureaucracy is just replacing street lighting on their street. “It’s outrageous,” Sures said. “It has to be simple. Just look at the features built into it. They are all very well managed; They look beautiful. They are diverse. They have many different types of people accompanying them and they are easy to use. I think that’s what he wants to do for our city.”

However, Count Tiffany Headish in the team bass. “Karen is right for this job because, as far as I know, she’s always been a woman of her word,” Hadish said. “She cares about children and the homeless and does a lot to solve these problems. There is also a lot of work with young people who welcome them, motivate them and help them to become productive citizens.”

Hollywood fans are also touting their preferred candidate as the best animator in the industry.

“He was a big supporter of the film and television tax credit program when he was in the Assembly,” Linkenhacker said of Bass. “He’s done a great job on things like clients who have passport issues. He is always a great support. ”

But Caruso’s fans believe his promises to simplify and streamline the licensing process will lead to more production in Los Angeles.

“People are leaving. “He won’t let you,” Medavoi said. “We have a state and a city that used to be a golden spot and people want to stay home and be with their families. We have the north, we have the desert, we have the mountains, we have everything. “And we can’t film here because it’s too expensive.”

says Caruso in a statement the hollywood reporter On Hollywood Support: “LA is the entertainment capital of the world and I will work with industry leaders to ensure that never changes. I am deeply grateful for the strong and growing support I receive from the community. As mayor, I will constantly focus on giving the industry the tools to grow, create more jobs and bring film back to our great city.”

Bass in your own statement THR“The entertainment industry is at the heart of our city’s economy, and that’s what made Los Angeles a place of worship,” he said. That’s why I was leading these threads; One example was when I was the president of the California State Assembly, I led the California Film and Television Tax Credit, which saved and created thousands of jobs by hiring the entertainment industry in our city. And the cinema in our country. As mayor, I will set that record and do everything I can to strengthen and protect the entertainment industry, to enhance our city’s extraordinary cultural achievements.” He says he will establish a new “real estate division to accelerate the development of more entertainment facilities.” sound and post-production in Los Angeles”, partnering with FilmLA to “make city properties in Los Angeles available for filming, working with neighborhoods to encourage production and to rock. Residents’ Quality of Life” and “Continue working to diversify the sector”. He adds, “Before I became a civil servant and worked in the Community Coalition, I supported programs that are still relevant today that work to diversify industry-leading commerce. “As mayor, I want to ensure that young people in urban areas take advantage of their opportunities in the industry and are equipped with successful career skills.”

A seismic leak on May 2 overturned a draft Supreme Court ruling Against Rowe Wade He also shed heat on the run. Pro-choice Bass released a tight-worded statement calling him “an example of strong men who decided that only they could make life-or-death decisions in women’s lives”. Caruso also took a stand in favor of the choice and issued a statement condemning the draft decision. But according to Los Angeles Times Reporter Julia Vick has donated to pro-life politicians. As Vicki points out, in 2007 Los Angeles Magazine Profiler Ed Leibovitz wrote of Caruso: “He says he is primarily opposed to abortion but supports stem cell research.” In addition, Planned Parenthood asked Caruso to apologize for previous donations to anti-election politicians. A spokesperson for Caruso said: “He was always supportive. Against Rowe Wade.” Caruso Also on Twitter That he supports passing a “constitutional amendment that provides for women’s suffrage in our state constitution” and that he would form the California PAC (with an initial support of $100,000) to lobby for the amendment.

The money-political scene has also become more active. Surrey hosted a fundraiser for Caruso on February 23, while Gwyneth Paltrow held her own Caruso event in March. On Bass’ side, Tracey Ellie Ross hosted an online chat with Bass, while Jay Abrams and Katie McGrath donated $250,000 to Communities United for Bass, matching a $250,000 donation from Democrat Jeffrey Katsenberg. But no donation compares to the billionaire Caruso gave himself. According the real dealCaruso spent $22 million of his estate on the race. However, in late April, Bass took the lead in seeking funding, raising $1 million since January, while Caruso has raised $570,000.

Fans also value the candidates’ personal qualities. “That’s not the child’s ego,” says Medavoi, a longtime friend of Caruso’s. “You really have a service man. He really has faith. He really does go to church every Sunday,” Goldsmith-Wen said of Bass. “It’s honest: what you see, what you get. A thoughtful, dedicated, passionate civil servant with a great sense of humor.”

No matter which side Hollywood pundits hit, there’s general agreement that this is a monumental choice. “One way or another, we need a dramatic shift,” Grazer said. “And we have to do it fast.”

This story first appeared in the May 10 issue. the hollywood reporter Newspaper. Click here to subscribe.