Los Angeles, California - The city of Los Angeles will have its first female mayor, following the election of Karen Bass, US broadcasters predicted on Wednesday night.

Bass defeated Rick Caruso, a billionaire real estate developer, in the race to replace Eric Garcetti, NBC and CNN reported.

"This is my home, and with my whole heart, I'm ready to serve, and my pledge to you is that we will hit the ground running on Day One," Bass said in a statement posted to Twitter.

She noted she had "received a gracious call" from Caruso and hoped that he "continues his civic participation in the city that we both love."

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"While we came up short in the count, we made an indelible impact on this city and its people that will last far beyond the campaign trail or Election Day," Caruso said in a statement posted on his social media pages.

"Congratulations Mayor-elect Bass! This is a historic moment & a win for Angelenos," read a post on Garcetti's official Twitter account. "Mayor-elect Bass has my full unconditional support through this transition period."

When Bass announced her mayoral campaign in September of last year, she said tackling the homeless crisis in Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the US, would be a top priority.

Bass, who served as state assembly speaker before being elected to the US Congress, co-founded Community Coalition, a South Los Angeles non-profit focused on social and economic issues.

She had been on US President Joe Biden's shortlist for vice president in 2020.