LOS ANGELES — U.S. Rep. Karen Bass defeated developer Rick Caruso Wednesday to become the next mayor of Los Angeles, as voters elevated the first Black woman to hold the post as City Hall contends with multiple scandals that have shaken trust in government, an out-of-control homeless crisis and rising crime rates.
With 70% of the vote tallied, Bass had amassed an insurmountable lead of nearly 47,000 votes.
Bass - a Democrat who was on President-elect Joe Biden’s short list for vice president - overcame more than $100 million in spending by the billionaire Caruso’s campaign while arguing that she would be a coalition builder who could heal a troubled city of nearly 4 million.