By Melanie Eversley

Black real estate broker Mel Wilson is among a slate of several people vying for the seat of Mayor of Los Angeles. If Wilson is successful, he will become LaLa Land’s second Black mayor behind the late Tom Bradley, a former police officer who was mayor from 1973 to 1993 and the city’s longest serving mayor.

So far, Wilson is the only Black person in the race, but buzz also has revolved around whether U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, a Los Angeles Democrat, will enter the mayoral race. Bass has chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and was a prominent voice calling for justice after the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. 

Bass is expected to announce her plans in the coming weeks, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

Others competing to replace Mayor Eric Garcetti next year: City Councilman Kevin de Leon, City Councilman Joe Buscaino, City Attorney Mike Feuer, and Jessica Lall, head of the Central City Association.