Hillary Clinton endorses Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor

Rep. Karen Bass picked up a big-name endorsement Thursday in her bid for Los Angeles mayor, earning the backing for former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“I’m proud to endorse (Bass) for mayor of L.A. because she’s a proven leader who will bring Angelenos together to solve problems while championing women’s rights and opportunities for young people,” Clinton wrote in an endorsement message on Twitter.

Bass, D-Los Angeles, finished first in the June primary race for mayor and will square off in November against billionaire businessman Rick Caruso.

She hailed the endorsement from Clinton, saying in a statement she worked with the former secretary of state, senator and first lady “in Los Angeles, Washington and overseas on issues we both care about, including reforms to keep children and families from homelessness and to stop cycles of poverty.”

She called Clinton a “trailblazing leader who understands how high the stakes in this election are for women and for everyone whose rights are under attack.”

The Caruso campaign had no comment on the Clinton endorsement.

Bass has picked up a host of endorsements from congressional colleagues, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and local Reps. Linda Sanchez, Jimmy Gomez, Lou Correa, Judy Chu, Ted Lieu, Mike Levin, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Mark Takano, Raul Ruiz and Lucille Roybal-Allard. She also has broad labor support from local unions, along with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

Caruso has been backed by former Mayor Richard Riordan, business groups including the Los Angeles County Business Federation, the Los Angeles Police Protective League and celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elon Musk, Snoop Dogg, Wolfgang Puck, music mogul Clarence Avant and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

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