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Bass

With former speaker of the State Assembly, Herb Wesson Jr., reaching the end his term limit this year, the race to fill his seat is expected to be a close one.

Out of the seven candidates running for the 47th Assembly District (which includes UCLA), Karen Bass has the strongest vision for education and would best represent student interests in the state Legislature. Bass, 50, is a faculty member at the University of Southern California and a senior policy fellow at the UCLA School of Public Policy.

Bass, one of five Democratic candidates vying for the position, lists education as her top priority and says she is against school vouchers.

Though she has less experience in political office than another front-runner – 74-year-old Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden – Bass does have valuable community-based experience in the Los Angeles area. Bass founded the Community Coalition, which prevented the building of more than 150 liquor stores in the area.

During a debate held on campus in early February, Bass said she wanted to improve high school standards to better equip students when they enter college. She also emphasized the importance of protecting outreach programs.