Los Angeles Mayor Hires New Chief of Staff
Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles has appointed Mitch Cummin, a lawyer known for his opposition to the Trump administration, as his new Chief of Staff. Cummin, a graduate of Alexander Hamilton High School, will be the third individual to hold this position during Bass’s nearly three-year tenure.
In a press release announcing the appointment, Bass described Cummin as “a veteran leader and current Quo Disruptor.” He holds a degree from Harvard and brings a wealth of experience from various nonprofit and legal service organizations, along with participation on several urban committees.
Most recently, Cummin served as general counsel and chief strategy officer for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a project by George Lucas that is set to launch next year. Before that, he was a partner at the law firm Covington & Burling LLP, where he was instrumental in establishing the firm’s first Los Angeles office and co-chaired key practice groups focused on commercial litigation and media.
Cummin, who is 58, has also held the position of president at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a nonprofit providing free legal support. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who worked with Cummin at Covington, praised him as a “passionate, dedicated and persuasive leader.”
In his new role, Cummin will oversee the mayor’s office amid ongoing immigration challenges in Los Angeles and nationwide. He previously represented the city in litigation against the Department of Justice, which blocked federal efforts to tie immigration enforcement to grant eligibility.
Cummin takes over from Carolyn Webb de Macias, who has been with Bass’s office since November 2023. Although she was initially slated to serve for only a year, she extended her stay following the wildfires earlier in the year.
Chris Thompson was the first chief of staff under Bass, playing a key role in the transition after the election. Previous chiefs of staff in Los Angeles have typically lasted longer in their roles; for example, Anna Guerrero served for eight years under Eric Garcetti, while Robin Kramer held her position for about four years under Antonio Villaraigosa.
Guerrero left her role in 2021 following controversies surrounding her conduct in a private Facebook group with city officials. Cummin was appointed by Garcetti in 2016 to oversee the Los Angeles Department of Homeless Services and has been chairman of the Los Angeles City Housing Authority committee since 2011, during which the board faced backlash for a significant retirement package offered to the agency’s CEO.
Cummin is set to begin his new position on September 22, as Bass communicated to her staff via an office-wide email. She expressed her confidence in Cummin’s leadership capabilities, stating, “Mitch has my full support and command to lead this team and maximize our effectiveness and performance.”
