LA Mayor Karen Bass, acknowledging mistakes, angles for second term in struggling city

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After a shaky first term framed by a devastating wildfire and an ongoing struggle with widespread homelessness, Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is looking for a return trip to city hall Tuesday while facing challenges from both ends of the political spectrum.

Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former star of the reality television show “The Hills,” accuses Bass of letting the fires get out of control and failing to make enough progress on the homeless crisis. His candidacy has drawn national attention as a barometer for dissatisfaction with liberal urban governance and because of viral videos that supporters created with artificial intelligence.

And Democrat Nithya Raman, a former Bass ally and progressive city council member who was elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America, is campaigning on promises to reduce inequality, revive the slumping entertainment industry and build more housing.

Bass, a former member of Congress and the first Black woman to serve as mayor, has lined up most of the Democratic establishment behind her, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with the city’s powerful labor unions.

If Bass or another candidate does not win a majority of the vote, the race will go to a runoff in November. Political observers say that's likely because there are 14 names on the ballot, including tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and community activist Rae Huang.

The race is unfolding at an unsettled time for LA.

The mayor is still trying to overcome fallout from her absence when the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history ignited in a wealthy seaside neighborhood in January 2025. Bass was on a trip to Ghana as part of a presidential delegation. Pratt lost his home in the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people. And some say the recovery is happening too slowly.

While statistics suggest that Bass has made headway on homelessness, makeshift encampments and rows of rusting RVs remain commonplace across the city. Complaints about the rising cost of living — whether for rent, taxes or groceries — are a constant refrain. Dirty, pocked streets and sidewalks abound.

Meanwhile Hollywood jobs have been decamping for years to more affordable filming locales. Trump administration immigration raids also shook the city.

Population in the once-booming region is falling — Los Angeles County lost about 54,000 people from July 2024 to July 2025, the largest numeric population drop in the nation, according to federal figures.

Crime statistics are down, but public safety is still an issue. World Cup games begin in Southern California in June, and Los Angeles is readying to host the 2028 Olympics. The federal government spearheads security at the Olympics, but there are already concerns that the Los Angeles Police Department will not have adequate funding or personnel to hold up its end of the job.

Bass has acknowledged making missteps but argued that a drop in homelessness and a historically low homicide rate show she is making progress. “I'll keep fighting for LA,” she said.

Pratt has focused his campaign on reducing homelessness and boosting police ranks, arguing that an outsider is needed to shake up city hall. Looking to tap into voter frustration, he says he is “an Angeleno who’s had enough” and rails against “homeless drug zombies” on the streets.

He received a nod of approval — if not an actual endorsement — from President Donald Trump, who recently said, “I heard he’s a big MAGA person.”

That remark could haunt Pratt in a city where Trump is widely unpopular beyond his conservative base and Republicans account for less than 15% of registered voters.

Nithya Raman, a candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral race, waves after a news conference Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt poses for a selfie during a campaign event Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jill Connelly)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, center, poses for a group photo during a campaign event at SEIU 721 headquarters in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at the Connect Los Angeles Conference on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Spencer Pratt appears on "Fox & Friends" at Fox News headquarters on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Mayor Karen Bass speaks at the Connect Los Angeles Conference on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Spencer Pratt appears on "Fox & Friends" at Fox News headquarters on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at the Connect Los Angeles Conference on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)

ISTANBUL (AP) — Far from tango's birthplace in working-class districts and port areas of Buenos Aires and Montevideo in Argentina and Uruguay, dance enthusiasts in Istanbul have built a close-knit and passionate community.

Every night, they gather at milongas — sessions of Argentine ballroom dancing — on both sides of this vast city that bridges Europe and Asia, drawn together by music, movement and the embrace of tango.

Turkish locals, foreign residents, visiting international teachers and travelers keep the dance alive while a multitude of dance schools and studios foster a vibrant tango scene.

Once a beginner and now a tango teacher, Gonca Çetin describes the city's tango community as both diverse and welcoming.

“It’s possible for everyone to find a tango environment that suits them. There’s a constantly growing and developing community,” she says.

At Istanbul’s milongas, where changing dance partners is part of the tradition, friends and strangers eagerly share the dance floor.

“I believe tango is a conversation without words,” Çetin added. “What draws me to it is the unique balance between connection and freedom. Through music and embrace, I am able to communicate, create, and express my emotions in a way that feels both deeply personal and profoundly shared.”

The city’s tango culture also extends beyond the dance floor.

In his small Istanbul workshop, master shoemaker Ercan Umay handcrafts tango shoes for dancers who glide through the city’s milongas, preserving another essential tradition of tango culture.

This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.

An employee works on crafting tango dance shoes at Necmi Usta's workshop in Istanbul. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A tattoo in Spanish reading, "There is no law," decorates the arm of a woman dancing during a tango milonga session at Soho Tangoport in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A city landscape is reflected in a window as people dance tango during a training session at 333 in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People dance tango during an evening milonga session at 333 in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A couple dances tango next to a portrait of modern Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk during a milonga evening at La Cumparsita in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman sits during a tango milonga session at La Cumparsita in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A newspaper clipping hangs on the wall behind Hasan Saglam as he works in the workshop of tango shoe brand Necmi Usta, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Dance shoe craftsman Ercan Umay works at his workshop in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Shoe molds are stacked at dance shoe maker Ercan Umay's workshop in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman puts her shoes on for a tango milonga evening session at Soho Tangoport in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Turkish tango teacher Emine Tezgin Ozdemir talks to students during a class at Tango Noa in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Turkish tango enthusiasts Gonca Cetin and Guralp Diner dance during a milonga evening session at Zeytuna in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Tango enthusiasts watch others dance during a milonga session at Zeytuna in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Tango enthusiasts dance during a milonga evening session at La Cumparsita in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Tango enthusiasts sit and watch others dance during a milonga session at La Cumparsita in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Carmen, a tango dancer from Romania, smiles during a milonga session at 333, a tango studio in Istanbul, Turkey, early Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A couple dances tango during a milonga session at 333, a tango studio in Istanbul, Turkey, early Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)