Historic election of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ushers in a new era of inclusive, more equitable civic leadership

“Karen Bass has a long history of always being on the side of the people, fighting for the people, fighting for the people whose voices aren’t in the room but must be present. That’s who Karen Bass has always been. It’s who she will always be.”

- Marc H. Morial

The National Urban League and the civil rights community have had few champions in Congress as tenacious and effective as Rep. Karen Bass of California.

Earlier this year, the National Urban League worked closely with Chairwoman Bass and the Congressional Black Caucus on negotiations that led to President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing, and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety. She and I partnered last year to highlight racial equity in COVID vaccines, and she advocated fiercely for the National Urban League’s priorities in the federal COVID relief responses. She has been a mainstay of our annual Legislative Policy Conference.

Now, the House of Representatives' loss is the City of Los Angeles’ gain. We are proud to congratulate Rep. Bass as she prepares to be sworn in as the first woman to hold the office of Mayor of Los Angeles.

Her inauguration on Dec. 12; also will mark the first time in history that the nation’s four largest cities--will be led by Black mayors. She joins Eric Adams of New York, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago, and Sylvester Turner of Houston.