CBS News projects: Rep. Karen Bass defeats billionaire Rick Caruso to become LA Mayor
CBS News projects that after spending the last 12 years in Congress, Rep. Karen Bass will be the city's 43rd Mayor, the first Black woman to hold the office.
"Los Angeles is the greatest city on earth," she said in a statement. "I know, if we come together, hold each other accountable, and focus on the best of who we are and what we can achieve, we can create better neighborhoods today and a better future for our children."
Her opponent, Rick Caruso, called Bass to congratulate her shortly after the announcement, according to his campaign.
"This evening, I received a gracious call from Rick Caruso, who is someone who I hope continues his civic participation in the city that we both love. I have great respect for his commitment to serving the people of Los Angeles," Bass later said in a statement.
In a press release on Wednesday, Rick Caruso said: "This campaign has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am so proud of my campaign. We held true to the core values of our family – integrity, honesty, and respect for all. While we came up short in the count, we made an indelible impact on this city and its people that will last far beyond the campaign trail or Election Day."
Caruso had a slight lead on Bass in the LA mayoral race last Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, with 51.3% of the vote while Bass had 48.8%.
However, by last Thursday, Nov. 10, Caruso's nearly 12,000-vote lead was drastically cut down to 2,695 ballots. Bass cut into his slight lead, garnering 49.75% of the vote compared to Caruso's 50.25%. But, on Friday Bass, who was considered the favorite in the race, had pulled ahead of her opponent. She now has a slim lead over Caruso, pulling in 50.38% of the vote compared to his 49.62%.
Her lead continued to grow through Tuesday, gaining 52.55% of the vote, compared to Caruso's 47.45%. It wasn't until more than a week after Election Day that she was projected as the winner of the race with 53.1% of the vote.
Bass delivered a powerful speech at the Ebell Theatre in Mid-Wilshire on Thursday, during her first public address after being projected as mayor-elect.
"Mark my words, we will get big things done together!" she said, discussing a range of issues already facing her as she heads into the position, including homelessness and rising crime rates.
She also mentioned how late-Congressman John Lewis, a noted civil rights activist and representative in Georgia from 1987 to 2020, helped inspire her to get to the finish line.
"It's sinking in. The magnitude of the job is sinking in, and the historical significance," she said. "But to me, if you do make history if you're in a position like this, and I was in a similar position when I was sworn in as Speaker, it means that you have extra responsibility. You always have to make sure that you maintain excellence in every step of the way, but when you're thinking about that, you have to think that the path that you go is laying the foundation for those that come behind you."
Bass also discussed her transition plan, as she's set to take office on Dec. 12, which is just weeks away.
Bass previously made it clear that if she was elected to the city's top office her No. 1 priority would be to get a handle on the homelessness crisis.
"I ran for mayor to urgently confront the crises our hometown faces," Bass said Tonight, 40,000 Angelenos will sleep without a home — and 5 will not wake up. Crime is increasing and families are being priced out of their neighborhoods."
Using the powers granted to her in a state of emergency, Bass said that she wants to get 15,000 unhoused people off the streets and into homes within her first year. However, declaring a state of emergency on homelessness isn't solely up to the mayor.
"It ultimately will require the city council members, themselves, to seed their power over land use to the mayor," said Sarah Sadhwani, assistant professor of politics at Pomona College. "City council has been divided on a host of issues recently, especially when trying to tackle the homeless issue... It's unclear whether the city council would want to seed this power to her or anyone who wins this mayoral election."
Part of Bass' plan also includes using a mix of temporary and permanent housing that already exists. This would include vacant hotels, motels and commercial space. She also wants to do more with the money the city already has through the highly criticized Prop HHH. Although voters invested more than a billion dollars in new taxes, city leaders have fallen short of reaching their goal of building 10,000 units to house the homeless.
"Even though housing was built, exactly as you said," said Bass. "It was way too low, way too expensive. Some of it because of regulation; some of it because of the way the proposition was structured... The city has properties that we could build on right away. So there's ways that we can solve this problem and seriously address the problem, but I don't believe until now there has been a commitment on every level of government to end homelessness"
Bass also wanted to address the factors that forces people onto the streets to begin with, including mental health and substance abuse.
"It's a perfect example of where you have to have support on the federal level," she said. "Because right now regulations say that you can't have a facility for mental health with more than 16 beds... General Hospital, the old iconic building, is empty. That could be used but that federal regulation needs to be relaxed so we can address the emergency."
However, Sadhwani said one of the biggest challenges in solving the homelessness crisis is actually getting people into these homes.
"You can have housing in place for folks but it doesn't mean you'll get them into homes," she said. "But it seems from her comments that Karen Bass understands that distinction."
With crime also top of mind for voters, Bass understood that safety is of the utmost priority for many. Bass said she once felt safe in L.A., however, after burglars broke into her Baldwin Vista home, that sense had since disappeared.
"I had felt safe in my neighborhood," she said. "My feeling of safety was definitely shattered."
Burglaries are up across the city since last year and bass wanted to increase the number of Los Angeles Police Department Officers on the streets, especially in communities that want them.
"I'll give you an example. Studio City and Melrose, those are communities that want to see an increased presence," said Bass. "Then there are other communities that want different things to feel safe. In South L.A., they want to see serious investment in crime prevention programs and gang prevention programs. That is a major investment I want to make."
Sadhwani said Bass has maintained that campaign promise of increasing police presence in certain neighborhoods where officers are most needed.
"So certainly, she is not in the camp of defunding the police," Sadhwani said.
Another priority for the congresswoman is to regain the trust of voters in a city that has historically seen corruption.
"I plan to have very strong ethics policies, and everyone that receives an appointment from me will have to sign an ethics pledge," she said. "I just think that the way people are cynical toward government right now, we need people to trust the government, to work with government, to see as part of their civic responsibility beyond voting."
For more election results click here.
