Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso rallies a crowd at his election-night headquarters Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. (AP/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Bass was in Ghana when the fires began despite a prior weather warning, for which she has since expressed remorse. But she has stopped short of stepping down. She also recently sacked the city's fire chief, Kristin Crowley, who failed to get her job back after appealing.
Caruso, a real estate mogul, ran against Bass in 2022 and lost, and it’s unclear if he plans to run against her again in 2026.
His decision not to support the recall caught the attention of former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vice presidential pick Nicole Shanahan, a major supporter of the recall.
"Don’t people deserve accountability?!" she said in reply to his post on X. "I don’t see this as political division… I see this as LA being the most united I’ve ever seen it around the real cost of mismanagement. The recall team is [100%] bi-partisan."
GWYNETH PALTROW CONFESSES LA FIRES CAUSED HER TO DRINK 'EVERY NIGHT'
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks to reporters at a news conference to announce Steve Soboroff, left, will lead LA's wildfire rebuilding and recovery efforts Jan. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
However, some did agree with Caruso that a recall election would be an uphill battle.
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"The premise of [Caruso]’s decision not to back a recall (which is correct) is precisely BECAUSE it is the best interest of LA not to waste everyone’s time and energy on recall that is destined to fail and further demoralize voters at the worst possible time," Los Angeles County GOP Central Committee member Elizabeth Barcohana tweeted.
To trigger a recall election, a petition would need signatures from 15% of registered voters in the City of Los Angeles.
"This recall is nothing more than another extreme right-wing political stunt designed to divide Los Angeles when we need to move forward," Doug Herman, a strategist for Bass, told Fox News Digital in a statement when the campaign first launched.
Cameron Arcand is a politics writer at Fox News Digital in Washington D.C. Story tips can be sent to Cameron.Arcand@Fox.com and on Twitter: @cameron_arcand
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/la-mayor-bass-gains-surprising-gop-ally-against-recall-campaign-political-distractions