Who Is Karen Bass? The First Woman Mayor Elected In Los Angeles

Democratic Representative Karen Bass has been elected mayor of Los Angeles, becoming the first woman to hold the position as per the reports.

In a close election to succeed Democrat Eric Garcetti, Bass won over billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, who had Elon Musk's support. Since Bass and Caruso are both Democrats, the contest was nonpartisan. About $100 million was spent on Caruso's campaign.

Who Is Karen Bass?

As the first woman elected to the position, she will join a pantheon of female local leaders, including the city's first female attorney and the influential, five-member Board of Supervisors for the county, predominately made up of women.

Currently completing her sixth term in the House, Bass was a finalist to serve as Joe Biden's running mate for vice president in 2020. In September of last year, she declared her candidacy for mayor, promising to make ending the city's homelessness a top priority.

She has also pledged to increase the number of police officers on the streets by releasing sworn officers from administrative duties so that they can patrol the city.

Especially in times of crisis, Bass remarked at the time, "I've spent my entire life bringing groups of people together in coalitions to solve complex problems and produce concrete change." “With my whole heart, I’m ready,” she added.

In 2008, Bass—a former community organizer—became the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly. She is the second Black person and first Black woman to be elected mayor of Los Angeles, the second-most populous city in the nation. Tom Bradley served as the city's first Black mayor from 1973 to 1993.

A car accident claimed the lives of her biological daughter and son-in-law in 2006, two years after Bass won her first election to public office. She has claimed that the tragedy forced her into a "club that you didn't ask to be in" and gave her the option of "between going back to work or hiding."

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