Karen Bass facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Karen Bass
Official portrait, 2022

43rd Mayor of Los Angeles
Incumbent
Assumed office December 12, 2022
Preceded by	Eric Garcetti
26th Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Cedric Richmond
Succeeded by	Joyce Beatty
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
In office January 3, 2011 – December 9, 2022
Preceded by	Diane Watson
Succeeded by	Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Constituency	33rd district (2011–2013) 37th district (2013–2022)
67th Speaker of the California State Assembly
In office May 13, 2008 – March 1, 2010
Preceded by	Fabian Núñez
Succeeded by	John Pérez
Majority Leader of the California Assembly
In office December 4, 2006 – May 13, 2008
Preceded by	Dario Frommer
Succeeded by	Alberto Torrico
Member of the California State Assembly from the 47th district
In office December 6, 2004 – November 30, 2010
Preceded by	Herb Wesson
Succeeded by	Holly Mitchell

Personal details
Born	Karen Ruth Bass (1953-10-03) October 3, 1953 (age 71) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jesus Lechuga (m. 1980; div. 1986)
Children	5, including 4 stepchildren
Residence	Getty House
Education	San Diego State University California State University, Dominguez Hills (BS) University of Southern California (MS, MSW)

Karen Ruth Bass (born October 3, 1953) is an American politician and social worker. She is currently the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles, a big city in California. She started this job in 2022.

Before becoming mayor, Bass was a member of the Democratic Party. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2022. She also worked in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010. During her last term there, she was the Speaker.

Karen Bass grew up in Los Angeles. She went to college at California State University, Dominguez Hills and the University of Southern California. Before entering politics, she worked as a physician assistant and helped her community. In 2008, she made history by becoming the first African-American woman to be a speaker of a state law-making body in the United States. Later, as Mayor of Los Angeles, she became the first woman to hold that position. She is also the second Black person to be mayor of Los Angeles, after Tom Bradley.

Early Life and Education

Karen Bass was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Wilhelmina, was a homemaker, and her father, DeWitt Talmadge Bass, was a postal letter carrier. She grew up in the Venice and Fairfax neighborhoods of Los Angeles. She finished Alexander Hamilton High School in 1971.

When she was a child, watching the civil rights movement on TV with her father made her interested in helping her community. In middle school, she started volunteering for Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign. She studied philosophy at San Diego State University from 1971 to 1973. She then graduated from the USC Keck School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program in 1982. She also earned a bachelor of science degree in health sciences in 1990. Later, in 2015, she received her master's degree in social work from the University of Southern California.

Serving in the California State Assembly

In 2004, Karen Bass was elected to represent California's 47th Assembly district. When she started, she was the only African-American woman in the state legislature. She was reelected in 2006 and 2008. Her time in this role ended because of term limits. She represented areas like Culver City, West Los Angeles, and parts of South Los Angeles.

Speaker Fabian Núñez chose Bass to be the majority whip for the 2005–06 session. Then she became the majority floor leader for the 2007–08 session. As majority whip, she helped lead the Legislative Black Caucus. She also helped create the first "State of Black California" report.

Becoming Speaker of the Assembly

When Speaker Núñez's term ended, Karen Bass was the highest-ranking Democrat. She gained support from other lawmakers and was elected speaker on February 28, 2008. She officially started the job on May 13, 2008.

As speaker, Bass worked to improve the state's child welfare system. She helped expand health insurance for children. She also worked to make it easier for small businesses to get certified. She helped get money to fix the historic Vision Theater in Los Angeles. She also secured funds for the Los Angeles Unified School District. She worked with the governor to change California's tax laws.

California Budget Challenges

Karen Bass became speaker during a tough economic time. The state faced a huge budget problem. She was part of talks that led to a plan to fix most of a $42 billion shortfall. For her leadership during this financial crisis, Bass and other leaders received the 2010 Profile in Courage Award.

In the U.S. House of Representatives

Karen Bass with Diane Watson on the day Bass announced she would run for Congress in 2010

In 2010, Congresswoman Diane Watson retired and suggested Bass run for her seat. Karen Bass could not run for the State Assembly again due to term limits. So, on February 18, 2010, she announced she would run for Congress. She aimed to represent California's 33rd congressional district.

Bass won the election on November 2, 2010, with over 86% of the votes.

Reelection Campaigns

After the 2010 census, her district was renumbered from the 33rd to the 37th. In 2012, she won the general election with 86% of the vote. She also helped President Barack Obama's reelection campaign. She led the California African Americans for Obama group.

She was reelected for a third term in 2014 with 84.3% of the vote. In 2016, she won her fourth term with 81.1% of the vote. She supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2015. After the 2018 elections, Democrats gained control of the House. Some wanted Bass to be the leader, but she supported Nancy Pelosi for speaker.

Key Roles in Congress

Committee on the Judiciary: This committee deals with laws and justice.
Committee on Foreign Affairs: This committee handles relationships with other countries.

Bass also led the Congressional Black Caucus from 2019 to 2021. This group works on issues important to Black communities. She also founded and co-chaired the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. This group helps improve the child welfare system.

Becoming Mayor of Los Angeles

Bass speaking at during her mayoral campaign kickoff in 2021

On September 27, 2021, Karen Bass announced she would run for mayor of Los Angeles in the 2022 election. Her campaign focused on solving Los Angeles's homelessness problem. She wanted to help people find homes and clear homeless camps near schools and parks. Former mayor Antonio Villaraigosa supported her.

Bass received the most votes in the June 7 primary election. She then faced Rick Caruso in the November runoff election. On November 16, she was declared the mayor-elect.

Her Time as Mayor

Karen Bass was officially sworn in as mayor on December 10, 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris held a public ceremony for her the next day. She officially started her job on December 12. Bass is the first woman and the second Black person to be mayor of Los Angeles.

Helping with Housing

As her first act, Mayor Bass declared a city state of emergency on homelessness. This was a promise she made during her campaign. By the end of her first year, her team reported that over 21,000 homeless people had found shelter.

In June 2023, Bass signed an order to speed up the process for building affordable housing in Los Angeles. Later, she made a change that slowed down some affordable housing projects in certain neighborhoods. In September 2023, Bass supported the idea of removing the Marina Freeway to build housing. However, in October 2023, she changed her mind and opposed tearing it down.

In February 2024, Bass wanted the LA Dodgers to build affordable housing on their stadium parking lots. She asked them to make 25% of any new housing affordable.

Dealing with Wildfires

In January 2025, major wildfires started in Southern California. Mayor Bass was out of the country at the time, even though she had promised not to travel abroad as mayor. She returned to Los Angeles quickly. Before she left, weather warnings for extreme fire conditions had been issued.

Some people criticized Bass for cutting money from the fire department's budget. The fire chief warned that these cuts could affect emergency response. However, the city later approved more money for firefighter pay raises and new equipment. Bass stated that the budget changes did not affect the fire situation.

Political Views

U.S. Relations with Africa

Throughout her time in Congress, Bass was a key Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa. She wanted to change how the U.S. works with African nations. Her goal was to increase trade and economic growth between them. She helped reauthorize the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This law allows African nations to export goods to the U.S. without taxes.

Bass has also worked to prevent famine in Africa. In 2017, she helped get nearly $1 billion to fight hunger in Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan. She has introduced many bills to support democracy and economic chances in Africa.

Child Welfare Reform

When she joined Congress, Bass started the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth (CCFY). This group of lawmakers works together to improve the child welfare system. One of their biggest successes was the Family First Prevention Services Act. This law aims to help children stay with their families and prevent them from entering foster care.

Since 2012, the Caucus has held an annual Foster Youth Shadow Day. During this event, foster youth visit Washington D.C. They learn how to speak up for changes in the child welfare system. They also spend a day with a member of Congress to see their daily work.

Environment and Climate Change

Karen Bass believes that climate change is a huge challenge for the country and the world. She supports the Paris Climate Agreement, which is an international agreement to fight climate change. She was also one of the first members of Congress to support the Green New Deal. This plan aims to address climate change and create jobs.

Bass also supports banning hydrofluoric acid (HF) at oil refineries. She points out the danger of storing this chemical, as a large release could harm many people nearby.

Gun Laws

Bass supports laws that would require background checks for all gun sales. She also wants to close loopholes that allow guns to be bought without checks. She supports banning the sale of certain powerful semi-automatic weapons. In 2016, she took part in a sit-in in the House of Representatives to push for gun control laws.

In 2022, her Los Angeles home was burglarized, and two legally registered handguns she owned were stolen. She stated that the firearms were stored securely.

Health Care

Bass supports universal health care, meaning everyone should have access to health care. She helped start the Congressional Medicare for All Caucus. She has voted many times against repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. She believes Congress should improve this law instead of getting rid of it.

Jobs and Economy

Bass has worked to give tax breaks to small businesses so they can hire more people. She also wants to make it easier for small businesses to get loans. She introduced the Local Hire Act. This law allows cities to prioritize hiring local residents for construction projects. This has helped create new jobs in Los Angeles.

LGBTQ+ Rights

In 2018, the Los Angeles Stonewall Democratic Club named Bass their Public Official of the Year. In 2019, she voted for the Equality Act. This law would ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in areas like housing, jobs, and education.

Student Loan Debt

In 2019, Bass introduced two laws to help with student loan debt. The Student Loan Fairness Act of 2019 aims to make student loans more affordable. It would cap interest rates and consider the cost of living. She also introduced the Financial Aid Fairness for Students (FAFSA) Act.

Police Reform

After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Bass helped write the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. This bill aimed to change police practices, such as banning chokeholds and making it easier to prosecute police who break the law. The bill passed in the House of Representatives but did not pass in the Senate.

Personal Life

Karen Bass was married to Jesus Lechuga from 1980 to 1986. After their divorce, they raised their daughter and her four stepchildren together. Sadly, her daughter, Emilia Bass-Lechuga, and son-in-law, Michael Wright, died in a car crash in 2006. Bass attends a Baptist church.

In September 2022, her Los Angeles home was burglarized. Two firearms she owned were stolen. Bass said the incident was "unnerving" and that the firearms had been stored securely.