Rep. Karen Bass Wins Heated Los Angeles Mayoral Race Against Billionaire Businessman Rick Caruso

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Sarah Morris/Getty, Amy Sussman/Getty

Karen Basswill become the first elected female and second Black mayor of Los Angeles, narrowly defeating billionaire developer Rick Caruso in the highly contested mayoral race on Wednesday.

Bass, who is a Democrat, had widespread support from the city’s liberal base, while Caruso, a newfound Democrat who’s previously registered as both Republican and independent, garnered votes in the San Fernando Valley and from Latinos, per the newspaper.

The developer also found support from a number of celebrities who called for a solution to the city’s issues with crime and homelessness.

Caruso spent about $100 million of his own money to fund his bid, which included attack ads that had many doubting Bass, despite her long-held tenure in politics,Politico reported.

Prior to joining Congress, Bass served in the California State Assembly, where she made history in 2008 as the first Black woman in U.S. history to serve as speaker in any state legislature,according to her online biography. In the early 1990s, the leader founded the Community Coalition, known locally as CoCo, which helped to transform social and economic conditions in South Los Angeles.

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source: people.com