Karen Bass Biography

Karen Bass is an American politician, social worker, and mayor-elect of Los Angeles, the first woman elected to office.

She is a member of the democratic party. Previously, she served for six years in the California State Assembly, the last two as a speaker. Previously, she was elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) for the 116th Congress, 2019-2021. She also chairs the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

She won the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election to become the first woman and second black mayor of Los Angeles. On Wednesday, Democrat Karen Bass won the race for mayor of Los Angeles against Republican Rick Caruso. She made history by holding the position for the first time as a Black woman.

What is Karen Bass Famous For?

• Karen Bass is a politician and social worker from the USA.
• She is the mayor-elect of Los Angeles, and the first woman elected to office in the USA. 

Who are Karen Bass’s Parents?

Karen Bass was born in Los Angeles, California, USA on October 3, 1953. Her father, DeWitt Talmadge Bass, was a postal letter carrier, and her mother, Wilhelmina, is a housewife.

She spent her early life in Los Angeles’s Fairfax and Venice neighborhoods. Her present age is 69 as of 2022. She holds American nationality and her ethnicity is Mixed. 

Regarding her education, Karen attended and graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in 1971. After that, she attended San Diego State University to study philosophy. She next enrolled in the physician assistant program at the USC Keck School of Medicine.

She earned a bachelor of science degree in health sciences from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She also received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California.

Karen Bass Political Career

• Bass was elected to represent California’s 47th Assembly district in 2004. She was reelected in 2006 and 2008.
• She was then appointed by speaker Fabian Nunez for the 2005–06 legislative session and the majority floor leader for the 2007–08 legislative session.
• She founded and chaired the California Assembly Select Committee on Foster Care during her first team. 
• During her term as majority whip, she served as vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus.
• She was termed out of the Assembly at the end of the 2007–08 session. 
• She was elected speaker on February 28, 2008, and sworn in on May 13, 2008.
• She worked with the governor and initiated the California Commission on the 21st-Century Economy to reform California’s tax code.
• She became a speaker during a period of severe economic turmoil.
• Bass, Dave Cogdill, Darrell Steinberg, and Michael Villines received the 2010 Profile in Courage Award for their leadership in the budget negotiations and their efforts to address the severe financial crisis.
• In 2010, Congresswoman Diane Watson retired from Congress and encouraged Bass to run for her seat.
• On February 18, 2010, she confirmed her candidacy to represent California’s 33rd congressional district.
• She won the election with over 86% of the vote on November 2, 2010.
• In 2012 she had no primary opponent and won the general election with 86% of the vote.
• Also, she was involved in President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.
• She had also served as a co-chair of African Americans for Obama in California during the 2008 presidential campaign.
• She was reelected to a third term with 84.3% of the vote.
• She was reelected to a fourth term with 81.1% of the vote.
• She endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2015.
• She won her primary with 89.18% of the vote and was reelected to a fifth term with 88.2% of the vote in 2018.
• She regained the majority in the House of Representatives after the 2018 elections. 
• She has been the top Democrat on the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. 
• In 2017, she helped secure nearly $1 billion in funds to combat famine in Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan.
• In 2022, Bass said that she supported more housing in Los Angeles, but opposed changing zoning regulations so that denser housing would be allowed in neighborhoods that mandate single-family housing.
• In 2020, she was one of more than 115 House Democrats to sign a letter criticizing Israel’s plan to annex parts of Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank.
• In July 2020, she was discussed as a potential running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. 
• In November 2020, she considered Bass for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Secretary of Health and Human Services. Ultimately, Biden nominated California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to the post.
• On 27th September 2021, she announced her candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles in the 2022 election. 
• On 16th November, the Associated Press declared her the mayor-elect, she is the first woman and, after Tom Bradley, the second Black person to be elected mayor of Los Angeles. Caruso spent $100 million of his own money on his campaign. 

Karen Bass’s Net Worth In 2022

Karen Brass is a politician whose net worth is estimated to be $4 million as of 2022. Her main source of wealth comes from her political career. She is making an annual income in around $400K as per the sources. She is living a lavish lifestyle from her earnings. She is one of the richest and most influential politicians in the United States. 

Who is Karen Bass’s Husband?

Karen Bass was married woman to her husband, Jesus Lechuga from 1980 to 1986. Following their divorce, the duo jointly raised their daughter and her siblings, Bass’s four stepchildren, Scythia, Omar, Yvette, and Ollin. Her daughter, Emilia Bass-Lechuga, and son-in-law, Michael Wright, were killed in a car crash in 2006. 

After her divorce, her name has not been linked with anyone. She is living a single life happily and she is focused on her career. Her sexual orientation is straight. 

What is Karen Bass Height?

Karen Bass is a beautiful woman. She stands tall at the perfect height of 1.70 m matching her body weight. Her body type is average. She has got a healthy body with a charming smile on her lips. She has curly brown hair and her eye color is light brown. She also wears a spectacle that suits her well.