LOS ANGELES — Rep. Karen Bass promised quick action on homelessness and had kind words for her billionaire opponent in her first public remarks since winning the most expensive mayor's race in Los Angeles history.
“The people of Los Angeles have sent a clear message: It's time for change, and it's time for urgency,” Bass told cheering supporters Thursday outside the Ebell Theatre in LA’s Wilshire neighborhood.
The congresswoman pledged to tackle the large numbers of people living on the streets — a major theme of both her campaign and that of her opponent, developer Rick Caruso. She said her first priority upon taking office next month will be to declare a state of emergency over homelessness, which rose during the pandemic, and tap into city, state and federal resources to expand assistance and build housing.
Mailed ballots are still being tabulated, but Bass was beating Caruso by about 6 percentage points when she was declared the winner, close to her margin over the developer in the Democratic primary in June. She is the first woman, and the second Black person, elected mayor of Los Angeles.
She will have weeks to organize a transition team as the City Council is still contending with the fallout of a leaked recording in which three members took part in a racist conversation as they discussed manipulating district boundaries to consolidate power. One member quickly resigned; a second's term is about to expire; a third, Kevin de Leon, has refused widespread calls to step down.
Bass survived a surprisingly tough challenge from Caruso, a real estate developer and former Republican, who polling showed was a relative unknown among voters when he entered the race in February.
He would go on to pour more than $100 million into his campaign, more than 10 times what Bass spent, dominating advertising platforms and becoming one of the most well-known figures in the city.
While Bass and Caruso traded barbs during the race, hitting each other over scandals at the University of Southern California and painting each other unqualified to lead Los Angeles through a period of crisis, the two have maintained they are friends with mutual respect for each other.
Bass in her victory speech said she had a “great phone call” with Caruso after the race was called, and that she expects him to stay engaged in the city.
“I have always admired his lifelong commitment to the people of Los Angeles, and I look forward to working with him in the future,” she said.
Neither candidate would commit to holding a space for their opponent in their administration when asked on the debate stage in recent months. Caruso has in the past served as a board member for both the city’s Department of Water and Power and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Owen Tucker-Smith contributed to this report.
