Karen Bass Beats Rick Caruso in Los Angeles Mayor's Race
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Democrat Karen Bass defeated Democrat Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles mayor's race, becoming the city's first black female mayor and second black mayor.
Key Quotes: “The people of Los Angeles have sent a clear message: it is time for change and it is time for urgency,” Bass said in a Wednesday evening statement. "I'm proud of the work we did to engage long-neglected communities, giving a voice to the unheard, and to the light we shined on the biggest challenges facing our great city," Caruso said in his statement conceding the race.
For Context: Bass, a U.S. Congresswoman from California's 37th District, ran on a campaign promising to solve homelessness, prevent and respond to outbreaks of crime, and make Los Angeles affordable for working families. Rick Caruso, a billionaire real estate businessman and former Republican, had been endorsed by celebrities such as Elon Musk, actor Chris Pratt, and musician Katy Perry. He outspent Bass nearly 11-to-1, but was ultimately unable to prevail, as Bass won roughly 53% of the vote.
How the Media Covered It: The race results were covered across the political spectrum, with all sources noting the significance of the first black woman being elected to lead Los Angeles.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Karen Bass elected mayor, becoming first woman to lead L.A.
Rep. Karen Bass has defeated businessman Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles mayor’s race, according to an Associated Press projection Wednesday, making her the first woman and second Black Angeleno elected to lead the city in its 241-year history.
The 69-year-old congresswoman achieved victory despite Caruso spending more than $100 million of his own fortune on his mayoral bid, shattering local spending records and pumping previously unprecedented sums into field outreach and TV advertising.
“The people of Los Angeles have sent a clear message: it is time for change and...
From the Right
Billionaire Rick Caruso — who had been endorsed by Chris Pratt and Elon Musk — loses LA mayoral race to US Rep. Karen Bass
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass of California defeated billionaire Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
"The results are in, and it is the honor of my life to be elected as your mayor," Bass said in an email to supporters, according to the Los Angeles Times. "It's time to house people immediately, increase safety and opportunity in every neighborhood, and create a new standard of ethics and accountability at City Hall."
"I'm proud of the work we did to engage long-neglected communities, giving a voice to the unheard, and to the light...
From the Center
Rick Caruso Spent Over $100m in Loss to Karen Bass
Businessman Rick Caruso may have spent more than $100 million in his campaign to become the next mayor of Los Angeles, but admitted defeat to Democratic Representative Karen Bass last night.
Caruso, a former Republican, conceded the race to Bass on Wednesday and The Associated Press called the election for the Democrat, who becomes the first woman ever elected to lead the California city.
Bass was outspent by around 11 to 1,with her billionaire opponent breaking local campaign spending records.
Figures from the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission show that Caruso spent...
AllSides Picks
April 19th, 2024
April 19th, 2024
More News about Elections from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
