Magic Johnson stepped into the Los Angeles political arena, and not everyone welcomed the pass. The Lakers legend publicly endorsed incumbent Mayor Karen Bass for a second term in May 2026. He praised her work on homelessness and crime in a video shared across social media.
But instead of sparking applause, the move lit a different kind of fire, one aimed squarely at Johnson himself. The backlash arrived fast and loud. Critics questioned his right to weigh in on a city race when he does not even live within Los Angeles city limits.
The endorsement that started it all
In a video shared by Bass on X, Johnson credited Karen Bass with reducing homelessness and lowering the city’s homicide rate. He called her performance “tremendous” and said she deserved a second term without hesitation. Bass, who has served as mayor since December 2022, welcomed the endorsement warmly.
Bass called Johnson a friend of over 30 years and said his backing meant everything to her campaign. She praised his long history of investing in Los Angeles communities before anyone asked him to. The optics looked strong until the internet started digging into where Johnson actually lives.
Beverly Hills is not Los Angeles
Beverly Hills is its own incorporated city with its own mayor and city government. It is not one of the 114 neighborhoods that fall within the City of Los Angeles and take part in the mayoral election. That means Johnson cannot cast a vote for the very candidate he is championing so publicly.
Critics on social media were quick to point this out. Many called the endorsement tone-deaf and argued that a Beverly Hills resident had no standing to lecture Angelenos about their city’s leadership. The gap between Johnson’s gated community and everyday LA life became the centerpiece of the criticism.
What Johnson said, and what he left out
Johnson highlighted Bass’ work on housing, homelessness, and violent crime. He did not mention the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, which killed at least 31 people and caused catastrophic destruction across Pacific Palisades and Altadena. That omission stood out to many observers watching the endorsement video.
Bass has faced sharp criticism for being in Ghana when the fires broke out and for prior budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Johnson’s glowing remarks with no mention of the disaster struck critics as a carefully edited version of reality. For wildfire survivors, that silence was anything but neutral.
Johnson’s deep ties to the city of Los Angeles
Johnson’s investment firm, Magic Johnson Enterprises, has poured money into underserved communities across the city for decades. He opened theaters in neighborhoods like Baldwin Hills that mainstream chains had ignored. He partnered with Starbucks to bring over 125 locations to urban communities that corporate America had written off.
Johnson’s Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund financed real estate developments in cities across the country, with a specific focus on low-income urban neighborhoods. His business empire has created thousands of jobs in diverse communities throughout Los Angeles. That track record gives his defenders a strong counterpoint to the critics calling him out of touch.
Little-known fact: Magic Johnson became the only franchisee in Starbucks history when he acquired over 125 locations for urban markets, a deal he eventually sold in 2010 for an estimated $100 million.
Spencer Pratt capitalizes on the moment
Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt lost his home in the Palisades wildfire and launched a mayoral campaign on its one-year anniversary. His campaign has leaned heavily on criticism of Bass’s wildfire response and the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis. According to a May 2026 Emerson College poll, Bass leads with 30% support while Pratt has surged to 22%.
Pratt’s campaign ads have racked up tens of millions of views online. He has channeled widespread voter frustration about the cost of living, public safety, and the slow pace of wildfire recovery. Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss even donated the maximum legal amount of $1,800 to his campaign, a quiet signal that not everyone inside Johnson’s Lakers circle is aligned with him.
The Jeanie Buss subplot is adding drama
Johnson and Buss have long referred to each other as family. But while Johnson publicly backed Bass, Buss donated the maximum legal campaign contribution to Bass’s opponent, Spencer Pratt. The two were also spotted sitting together at a Lakers playoff game during the race, adding fuel to speculation about the split.
Buss has not made any public endorsement statement, keeping her political position more discreet than Johnson’s. But the contrast between the two Lakers figures speaks to the divided opinions about Bass across Los Angeles. It added a layer of drama to an already colorful race.
What does all this mean for the race?
The Beverly Hills story gave Bass’s rivals a ready-made attack line about wealthy celebrities backing an out-of-touch mayor. Pratt, in particular, has built his entire campaign on the idea that Los Angeles leadership is disconnected from regular residents. Johnson’s endorsement, however well-intentioned, fit neatly into that narrative.
The primary is set for June 2, 2026, with a general election to follow in November if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote. The race remains genuinely competitive, and every headline, including this one, keeps the pressure on Bass. Johnson wanted to help his friend. Whether he did is a question only voters can answer.
TL;DR
- Magic Johnson endorsed LA Mayor Karen Bass for a second term in May 2026, citing her record on homelessness and crime.
- Johnson lives in Beverly Hills, which is not part of the City of Los Angeles, meaning he cannot vote in the race.
- Critics called the endorsement tone-deaf because he skipped any mention of the deadly 2025 wildfires that have dominated the race.
- Bass faces challengers including Spencer Pratt, a wildfire survivor, and Nithya Raman, with polling showing a tightening contest.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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