Los Angeles Mayoral Candidates Face Off in First Debate

The race to lead Los Angeles gets its first major test Wednesday, when Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman, and a reality television star turned political aspirant, Spencer Pratt, face off on air.The one-hour debate will take place at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and comes just 28 days before voters go to the polls. The discussion, hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52, is expected to center on wildfires, immigration, homelessness, public safety, and quality of life.Wednesday’s debate marks the first live face-off between the top mayoral candidates. To qualify, candidates needed at least 5 percent support in two nonpartisan polls approved by NBC.Debates are expected to carry outsized weight as many voters remain undecided and support for the incumbent, Ms. Bass, has softened. A UCLA poll from April found Ms. Bass received support from 25 percent of likely voters, while Mr. Pratt trailed at 11 percent and Ms. Raman at 9 percent. Crucially, 40 percent of respondents said they were still undecided.Mr. Pratt stands out from the other two candidates as the only registered Republican and the only one without political experience. The 42-year-old star of the MTV series “The Hills” announced his mayoral bid in January, on the one-year anniversary of the Pacific Palisades wildfires, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes. Mr. Pratt and his wife, fellow reality television personality Heidi Montag, were among those who lost their homes in the blaze.He has since gained traction through vociferous criticism of Ms. Bass’s wildfire response and a series of viral campaign videos that harnessed his camera savvy to take aim at California’s political establishment. Mr. Pratt’s Republican registration may prove a liability in the heavily Democratic city. However, he has sought to distance himself from political labels, calling the race “non-partisan.”With Mr. Pratt emerging as the dark horse, Ms. Bass and Ms. Raman will likely use the debate to draw contrasts with each other. Though formerly allies, Ms. Raman launched a surprise late-entry campaign and has sought to cast herself as an outsider.Ms. Bass was elected mayor in November 2022 after serving in the House of Representatives and the California State Assembly. Ms. Raman has represented Los Angeles’s 4th district in the city council since 2020. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Ms. Raman has drawn comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for her progressive stances on housing and affordability.cThe pair traded barbs Tuesday at a candidate forum hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association. Ms. Raman attacked the mayor over the city’s slow progress on homelessness and denounced Ms. Bass’s Inside Safe program — which moves homeless individuals into hotels and motels — as too costly. Ms. Bass pushed back by questioning Ms. Raman’s outsider framing, noting that she had spent three years leading the council committee charged with homelessness and housing.“For you to act as if you’re brand new, or you’ve been on the outside for almost six years, is not accurate,” Ms. Bass said. Ms. Raman replied that she is just one of 15 council members while “the mayor is in charge of the departments. The mayor is the leader of the city.” Wednesday’s mayoral debate will be followed by a gubernatorial debate featuring seven candidates vying to be California’s next governor.

Los Angeles Mayoral Candidates Face Off in First Debate

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