A historic win in Southern California.
Karen Bass, a veteran Democratic congresswoman, on November 16th became the first woman elected as mayor of Los Angeles after pledging to build coalitions in a metropolis torn by racial tensions and fed up with homelessness. The race was called by The Associated Press.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles County election results showed her with more than 53 percent of the vote, with returns trending heavily for her.
Ms. Bass survived a bruising contest against Rick Caruso, a billionaire real estate developer, that had remained too close to call for more than a week after the election. Mr. Caruso had invested around $100 million into his campaign as a law-and-order candidate, hoping to appeal to a frustrated electorate.
“This is my home, and with my whole heart, I’m ready to serve, and my pledge to you is that we will hit the ground running on day one,” Ms. Bass said in a statement on Wednesday. “The people of Los Angeles have sent a clear message. It is time for change and it is time for urgency.”
Bass, who has represented the 37th Congressional District of California for 11 years, will be the first woman to lead Los Angeles when she is sworn in on Dec. 12, 2022. She will also be the second Black Angelino to hold the office in a city where only 8.8% of residents are Black, according to the U.S. Census.
Before Bass was elected to Congress in 2010, she previously served as a member of the California State Assembly representing the 47th district from 2004 to 2010. From 2008 to 2010 she was the first Black woman to be Assembly speaker.
In the U.S Congress Bass represented West Los Angeles and from 2019 to 2021 served as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
