U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, leading candidate to become the next Mayor of Los Angeles, has picked up another big name endorsement: Sen. Bernie Sanders.
"At a time when Los Angeles and cities across the country are facing major challenges, we need bold leaders who will stand up to big money interests and put the priorities of working people first,” Sanders said in a statement shared with NBC4 on Tuesday morning.
"For that reason Karen Bass, a long-time leader in the struggle for economic, social and racial justice, is the clear choice for Mayor of Los Angeles."
Sanders, the democratic-socialist senator from Vermont best known as the face of the progessive left wing of U.S. politics, also took aim at Bass's opponent, businessman Rick Caruso, in his statement.
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"[Bass] is taking on a billionaire developer who is way out of touch with the challenges facing low-income and working families," Sanders said.
"Thank you @BernieSanders for standing with me in this fight to bring Angelenos inside immediately and make Los Angeles safer and more affordable for all," Bass said in a Twitter statement about the endorsement.
Sanders joins other top politicians on the left in endorsing Bass, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
She has also been endorsed by 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.
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.
