South LA voters weigh in on LA mayoral race

The California primary election is weeks away, and voters throughout the state are deciding who to vote for.

LOS ANGELES - The California primary election is weeks away, and voters throughout the state are deciding who to vote for.

One of the major races in Los Angeles is the mayoral race. There is a shortlist of LA mayoral candidates including Congresswoman Karen Bass, billionaire businessman Rick Caruso, City Councilmember Kevin de León, activist Gina Viola, and former Metro board member, Mel Wilson.

LA City Council's Joe Buscaino and City Attorney Mike Feuer both recently dropped out of the race for LA Mayor after months of campaigning. As the race appears to be turning into a two-person race between Bass and Caruso, Buscaino endorsed Caruso, and Feuer endorsed Bass.

However, voters in the community of South Los Angeles are weighing the issues and deciding which mayor will be the best pick for the city.

"At the end of the day, it's about not what you've said but what you've done, and it's easy to run around and campaign and get a lot of endorsements," said Reginald Davin, a South LA voter.

Davin is undecided on who he will vote for at this time.

"I haven't gotten enough information. I have my registration. I haven't decided. I may take some time out and really look at the television program advertisements and see what they're saying," said Davin.

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Joseph LaCour is leaning towards Caruso.

"Normally I would vote for Karen Bass, but I think I'm leaning towards Caruso," said LaCour, a South LA voter.

LaCour believes homelessness is the biggest problem in Los Angeles, and said he believed Caruso would fix the issue.

However, Lavinia, another South LA voter, has a different view.

"I'm not a fan of Rick Caruso. I don't know where he came from. All I know is he has a lot of money and all of a sudden, he's the man to win the race. I'm not impressed with money. I'm impressed with people who really care about the community and so that's why I'm leaning towards Karen Bass. I know that she (Bass) has a heart for the people and she would be the best candidate to be our next mayor. She has a track record of excellence and that's what we need in our city," said Lavinia.

Lavinia named a number of concerns in her community.

"I think one of the main concerns is the uprising in crime and all of the follow-home robberies. I think that whoever becomes our next mayor should really focus on police reform, educating the police on how to handle situations, and involving community organizations that deal with mentally ill patients," she said.

Another voter identified "high rent" as a big problem in the city that needs to be addressed.

Votes for the primary election end on June 7. Every registered voter has been mailed a ballot. The top two candidates from the primary election will advance to a November runoff unless a single candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary.