The outcome of the Los Angeles mayor’s race will determine how many people opt to escape from the city.

During the tenure of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the City of Angels suffered through hellfire that enveloped the Pacific Palisades. The January 2025 inferno killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures. More than 100,000 were under evacuation orders but not Bass. She was in Ghana.

The aftermath of the fire made Bass look clueless. One challenge firefighters faced was a shortage of water. The nearby Santa Ynez Reservoir can hold more than 100 million gallons of water. It was empty when the fire started. Officials had drained it to complete repairs to the reservoir’s cover that were supposed to have been finished in 2024.

Then there was the fire chief. One might think that a city vulnerable to wildfires would prioritize competence in putting out fires. Nope. At the time of the blaze, Kristin Crowley was the Los Angeles fire chief.

“Our efforts will be maximized by making sure diversity is celebrated and valued, and that equity and inclusion are intertwined into every policy, procedure and practice,” she said after becoming chief in 2022.

Perhaps leftist buzzwords put out flames in La La Land. But L.A. needed water and on-duty firefighters. Bass fired the chief after the devastating fire.

Residents looking to rebuild their homes soon realized that Californication means seemingly endless permitting delays. So far, only a few homes have been rebuilt. Late last month — more than a year after the fire — Bass unveiled changes to speed up the permitting process.

This is far from the only problem L.A. residents face. Widespread homelessness has many families dodging needles and drug addicts on the streets. Politically connected union leaders may be living like kings, but many Angelenos aren’t. Business owners hope thieves don’t charge into their stores and commit smash-and-grabs.

The sun doesn’t have to go down on Sunset Boulevard. These problems are fixable. Prioritize and promote competence in the fire department. Ensure the permitting process quickly permits people to build. Arresting criminals isn’t just pulp fiction. It reduces crime and homelessness.

But those things are unlikely to happen if L.A. residents keep electing the same leaders. Fortunately for Tinseltown, political newbie Spencer Pratt, who lost his house in the Palisades fire, offers a clear alternative. Powered by clever viral ads, he has a real chance to advance in the upcoming primary.

If L.A. voters are sick of the status quo, they’ll reject the failing status quo and select a fresh prince for Bel-Air.

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