Bass and Raman Clash in First Los Angeles Mayoral Debate

Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman held their first mayoral debate on Wednesday evening at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center. The 90-minute event focused on the homelessness crisis, public safety, and the management of city services as the candidates prepare for a November 3 runoff election.

Raman criticized the $400 million cost of Bass's Inside Safe program, citing a lack of audits and calling the initiative a failure. Bass countered that the program drove a 49% decline in homelessness within Raman's own district and argued that the city's broader homelessness system remains dysfunctional due to fragmented governance.

On public safety, Bass accused Raman of supporting the defund the police movement and voting against police hiring. Raman defended her opposition to a 2023 LAPD pay raise as a matter of fiscal responsibility, claiming the contract would bankrupt the city. Raman further stated she would replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell if elected.

The debate turned personal when Bass attacked Raman's work ethic, claiming the councilwoman missed thousands of votes. Raman defended her absences as conflicts resulting from external board appointments. The runoff follows a June primary where Bass led with approximately 34% of the vote to Raman's 29%. The campaign was recently complicated by a fabricated poll from Median Strategies that falsely showed Bass with a wide lead, which the firm later described as a social experiment.