Karen Bass stepped out this morning to give her first speech as mayor of Los Angeles after AP called the race. She was greeted by a crowd of enthusiastic supporters.
Bass: “No matter who you are, no matter where you live, I will be a mayor for you.”
USC students expressed their relief in finally knowing who the next mayor of L.A. will be, and many Bass supporters talked about their desires to see her policies at work.
They also expressed the importance to see more representation in office. Bass will be L.A.’s first female mayor and only the second black mayor in the city’s history.
Hanah Abualhaj, a junior studying Communications, said Bass’s role in office can serve as an inspiration for younger girls in the city. She thinks Bass will be able to offer a fresh perspective for the city.
Albualhaj: “I think it’s really important for a minority to be elected into the role. You know, as a woman, it’s very inspiring to see another woman hold a position of power, especially in such a large city. ”
Sasha Hussain, a junior majoring in Health and Human Sciences, is part of the Trojan Democrats which worked with the Bass campaign during the mayoral race. Although she’s happy Bass won the election, she says their work is not done.
Hussain: “I think moving forward, we want to hold her accountable to her promises. And so there’s a lot of promises that made us want to endorse her, like her homelessness and her opinions on policing. So we want to hold her accountable and make sure that she follows what her plans are.”
Hussain talked about Bass’s political experience as an appealing factor for both her and other supporters compared to Caruso’s Republican history.
Hussain: “I think a lot of those values that come with like women’s rights and homelessness and policing and all of these issues that L.A. deals with is something that a lot of Democrats also favor on a more liberal approach. So I think those values of like helping people in need is something that Democrats value. And that’s why they chose Bass over Caruso.”
Both Abualhaji and Hussain talked about their excitement in voter turnout for this election—especially in the younger population. They believe the rise in political participation comes from wanting to have a say in their future.
Abualhaji: “I think if you’re not happy with how things are being run, you should definitely use your vote.”
Hussain: “It’s so exciting that young people came out because our voices are so impactful and historically we don’t vote as much as older people and a lot of politics really impact us the most.”
The LA County Clerk’s office is expected to officially certify the mayoral race result on December 5th.