Karen Bass

Karen Ruth Bass (; born October 3, 1953) is an American politician who has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Bass previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2022 and in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, serving as speaker during her final term. After attending San Diego State University and California State University, Dominguez Hills, Bass worked as a physician assistant and community organizer, before being elected to represent California's 47th State Assembly district in 2004. In 2008, she was elected to serve as the 67th speaker of the California State Assembly, becoming the first African-American woman in United States history to serve as a speaker of a state legislative body. Bass was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. She represented California's 33rd congressional district during her first term; redistribution of districts moved her to 37th district in 2012. She chaired the Congressional Black Caucus during the 116th Congress. After winning the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election, Bass became the first woman to serve as mayor of Los Angeles.

Photo: mayor of Los Angeles, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons