Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was greeted with chants of “Karen! Karen!” after she described Vice President Kamala Harris as a role model who will fight to protect children during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
Bass told the cheering Chicago crowd that she and Harris worked together on youth homelessness and fixing the child welfare system more than a decade ago, when Bass led the California Assembly and Harris was a state attorney.
“Our bond was forged years ago, through a shared commitment to children,” said Bass, who has known Harris, 59, for nearly two decades. “The belief that it’s everyone’s responsibility to take care of every child, no matter where they come from or who their parents are.”
Bass, 70, a prominent children’s rights advocate who founded the bipartisan Congressional Foster Youth Caucus while in Congress, also used her short speech Monday to describe Harris’ work as California attorney general to help young people in the juvenile justice system.
“I know Kamala,” Bass said. “And she feels the importance of this work in her gut. When Kamala meets a young person, you can feel their passion. You can feel their heart. And you can feel their fearlessness.”
“That’s what a commitment to children is all about: being willing to fight hard for every child. And believe me, Kamala has done that her whole life.”
Bass smiled at the crowd and seemed to relish her moment in the spotlight. She laughed as she talked about how she and Harris made history and the moment Harris, the first female vice president, swore her in after Bass became the first woman to serve as mayor of Los Angeles in 2022.
Before the swearing-in, “we knew we were sending a message to young girls everywhere: They too can lead,” Bass said.
Harris and Bass also spoke to reporters about their respective families. Harris is a stepmother and identifies herself as “Momala,” while Bass has three adult stepchildren.
Other Californians who spoke on the convention’s opening night included U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Reps. Maxine Waters and Robert Garcia, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Before Harris was chosen as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020, Bass was also considered a possible choice for the ticket. But some speculated that Harris’ political advisers were behind a perceived attempt to cross Bass off the list of potential candidates.
Still, the buzz around Bass’s possible vice presidential run attracted national attention. A year later, Bass launched his campaign for mayor of Los Angeles.
