Karen Bass defeats billionaire to become LA mayor

Karen Bass on Wednesday was projected the winner of Los Angeles’ mayoral race, defeating billionaire developer Rick Caruso, a former Republican who outspent the Democratic U.S. congresswoman by 11-to-1 while enlisting the aid of Hollywood A-listers including Snoop Dogg, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kim Kardashian.

Bass, who will become the first woman to lead the country’s second-largest city, was leading Caruso by more than 46,000 votes on Wednesday afternoon with just under 75% of ballots counted, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Our campaign was people-powered by thousands of volunteers, sending a message that we are committed to solutions for homelessness, public safety, and affordability in every neighborhood and for every community,” the 69-year-old former state Assembly speaker and six-term U.S. congresswoman tweeted earlier this week.

Caruso spent more than $100 million of his own money on his failed campaign, which tried to capitalize on Angelenos’ frustrations with crime and homelessness. The 63-year-old had promised to hire a record number of police officers and to find temporary housing for 30,000 of the city’s nearly 70,000 unhoused residents in his first 300 days in office.

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called Bass’ victory the “best news of the week.”

“As someone who has both worked closely and admired from afar, I know she will be leading the city that raised her with love and compassion,” Omar tweeted. “Congratulations Karen Bass, I am going to miss you enormously but I will forever be grateful for your membership.”

Bass will take office during turbulent times in the California city of 4 million people beset by rampant inequality and its manifestations, including rising crime and an unhoused population greater than the combined populations of two neighboring cities, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.

Originally published at Commondreams.org.