Karen Bass

Karen Bass. An American politician and former physician assistant serving as the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles since December 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. representative for California's 37th congressional district from 2013 to 2022 and for California's 33rd congressional district from 2011 to 2013. She made history as the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the California State Assembly and later chaired the Congressional Black Caucus.

Early life and education

Born in Los Angeles, she was raised in the Venice and Fairfax neighborhoods. She attended Alexander Hamilton High School before pursuing higher education at San Diego State University and later transferring to the University of Southern California. At USC, she earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Social Work, which grounded her career in community health and activism. Her early professional work was as a physician assistant and clinical instructor at the USC Keck School of Medicine.

Early career and activism

Her activism was ignited by the crack epidemic devastating South Los Angeles in the late 1980s. In 1990, she co-founded the Community Coalition, a prominent nonprofit organization focused on substance abuse prevention, youth development, and empowering African American and Latino communities. This work brought her into direct engagement with local politics and policy reform, addressing systemic issues in neighborhoods like South Central Los Angeles. Her leadership at the coalition established her as a significant voice in Los Angeles County on issues of social justice and community reinvestment.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2010, she served on influential committees including the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Judiciary Committee. She was a prominent member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 2019 to 2021. Key legislative efforts included her work on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the Foster Youth Mentoring Act, and her role as a deputy whip for the House Democratic Caucus. She also served on the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

2022 Los Angeles mayoral election

In the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election, she advanced from the nonpartisan primary against a field that included Rick Caruso and Kevin de León. The general election became a highly competitive and expensive contest against billionaire developer Rick Caruso. She secured endorsements from major figures like President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Los Angeles Times. After a close race, she defeated Caruso, becoming the first woman and second African American person elected as Mayor of Los Angeles.

Mayor of Los Angeles

She was sworn into office on December 12, 2022, succeeding Eric Garcetti. Her administration immediately declared a local state of emergency on homelessness, launching the ambitious Inside Safe initiative to move people from encampments into interim housing. Key early challenges included managing the city's response to the ongoing homelessness crisis, addressing public safety concerns, and navigating the fallout from a significant City Council audio leak scandal. She also oversaw the city's preparations for hosting FIFA World Cup matches and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Political positions

Her political ideology is aligned with progressive Democratic principles, emphasizing social welfare, criminal justice reform, and healthcare access. She is a strong supporter of Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and tenant protection laws. On foreign policy, she has advocated for re-entering the Iran nuclear deal and has been critical of U.S. policy toward Cuba, supporting an end to the embargo. She has a long-standing record on foster care system reform, influenced by her early social work career and legislative work on the Foster Youth Mentoring Act.