The Los Angeles mayoral race just turned into an all-out war between Karen Bass and fellow Democrat Nithya Raman — and now Airbnb money is sitting directly in the middle of the explosion.
In a blistering social media barrage, Raman accused Bass of engaging in outright “pay-to-play politics” after details surfaced about a proposal buried inside the mayor’s new city budget plan that would dramatically expand short-term rentals across Los Angeles.
The timing could not have been worse for Bass.
Just hours after Raman held a press conference attacking the proposal, campaign finance filings reportedly showed Airbnb helping fund a political action committee spending heavily to support Bass’ reelection effort.
That immediately gave Raman an opening, and she sprinted through it.
“Hours after I held a press conference exposing Mayor Bass’s secret deal to allow rental homes to be turned into vacation rentals, filings were published showing that Airbnb is spending big on a PAC to get her reelected,” Raman posted on X. “This is what pay-to-play politics looks like.”
Raman did not stop there.
In a lengthy thread, she accused Bass of prioritizing corporate interests over struggling renters already drowning under Los Angeles’ crushing housing costs.
“Here’s how pay-to-play works,” Raman wrote. “A politician delivers policy favors to a corporation or special interest. The corporation spends money to keep the politician in power.”
“And the everyday people of Los Angeles lose.”
At the center of the fight is a proposal tucked inside Bass’ massive 524-page budget package for 2026-27. Current Los Angeles law generally limits short-term rentals to primary residences only. The new proposal would explore allowing second homes, apartments, and investment properties to legally operate as Airbnb-style rentals ahead of the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
Supporters argue the change could generate major tourism revenue and expand lodging capacity as millions of visitors flood into the city.
Critics see something much uglier.
Raman repeatedly referred to the proposal as a “secret Airbnb deal,” warning it would pull even more housing units off the long-term rental market and drive rents even higher in a city already suffering from a catastrophic affordability crisis.
“The price of Mayor Bass’s secret Airbnb deal is higher rents,” Raman wrote. “Buried in the middle of a 524-page document, this proposal would allow landlords to list non-primary residences as short-term rentals.”
Then came the knockout accusation.
“Airbnb is the biggest funder of a PAC spending $1,000,000 to keep Karen Bass in office,” Raman claimed. “Bass delivers the policy Airbnb wants. Airbnb spends millions to elect Bass. Angelenos pay higher rents.”
Bass’ campaign fired back hard.
Spokesman Alex Stack dismissed Raman’s allegations as “another conspiracy theory from a failing candidate,” accusing her of lashing out after poor debate performances and weak polling numbers.
“This is obviously false,” Stack said. “The City should absolutely be exploring every way to maximize the economic benefit from the Olympics and to generate revenues paid by visitors, not Angelenos.”
Bass allies argue the proposal is simply practical planning ahead of massive international events that will place extraordinary pressure on Los Angeles’ hotel and tourism infrastructure.
Airbnb itself also jumped into the fight after being contacted by The Post, citing a new Beacon Economics study claiming expanded short-term rentals could generate between $70 million and $80 million annually in tax revenue within three years.
According to the report, Los Angeles has allegedly lost roughly $439 million in potential transient occupancy tax revenue since 2020 because of current restrictions on short-term rentals.
The study further argued Airbnb properties represent less than 1% of the city’s housing stock and are concentrated mostly in wealthier neighborhoods, suggesting they are not the primary driver of Los Angeles’ broader housing crisis.
“Our analysis indicates that an expanded short-term rental framework could substantially increase transient occupancy tax revenue and help the City better meet rising tourism demand,” Beacon Economics Research Manager Stafford Nichols said.
Still, the political optics for Bass are rough.
Los Angeles voters are already furious over housing costs, homelessness, public safety, and city management failures. Any perception that City Hall is quietly helping corporate interests profit off housing scarcity while ordinary renters struggle to survive is politically radioactive.
For Raman, this fight also offers something her campaign desperately needs: a clear populist contrast.
After entering the race late, Raman has tried positioning herself as the anti-establishment progressive willing to reject corporate money entirely.
“I am not for sale,” Raman declared. “My campaign takes no corporate money.”
That message may resonate with parts of the left, particularly younger renters furious about affordability and corporate influence in local politics.
But Bass still holds major institutional advantages, labor backing, donor support, and incumbency power heading into the race.
Now the question becomes whether Raman’s attack lands beyond activist circles — or whether voters view the short-term rental proposal as a reasonable attempt to prepare Los Angeles for the economic flood of the Olympics and World Cup.
