Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) is planning to announce that she will run for mayor of Los Angeles in 2022, according to two people with knowledge of the situation, joining a high-stakes race to run the second-most populous city in the country.

       The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations, said an official announcement is expected soon. It will possibly happen next week, barring unexpected changes, they said.

       “Los Angeles is facing a humanitarian crisis in homelessness and a public health crisis in the disproportionate impact this pandemic has had on Angelenos,” Bass spokesman Zach Seidl said in a statement, when asked for comment. “She does not want to see these two issues tear the city apart. Los Angeles has to come together. That’s why the Congresswoman is considering a run for mayor.”

       Karen Bass signals openness to Los Angeles mayoral run

       Bass is a close ally of President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). She was a finalist to be Biden’s running mate last year and was a lead negotiator on Capitol Hill in bipartisan talks to overhaul policing laws. Those talks ended this week.

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       The congresswoman is a longtime veteran of California politics and one of the most prominent Black women in government. Before joining Congress, she was a state lawmaker and activist.

       Her credentials — a former physician assistant and then-head of the Congressional Black Caucus — appealed to Biden’s team during the running mate deliberations, since they thought she was well-suited to lead during a global pandemic and a nationwide reckoning on racial issues.

       Rep. Karen Bass fought for Blacks and Latinos in South Los Angeles. Now, she’s on Biden’s VP shortlist.

       Bass has been considering a run since at least August. Biden has nominated the current mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, to serve as ambassador to India. Should Garcetti win confirmation for the job in the Senate, the Los Angeles City Council will have the power to appoint his replacement.