Bass and Raman face off in first mayoral debate ahead of the general election

The two candidates vying for the job of Los Angeles mayor — incumbent Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman — will face off Wednesday night in their first debate ahead of the general election in November.

The backstory

Bass finished ahead of Raman in the June primary with 34% of the vote to Raman's 29%. With no one in the crowded field going above 50% the two women moved to a run off. While Bass was ahead of Raman. she's considered a vulnerable incumbent. Rising street homelessness, skyrocketing housing costs and a shortage of basic city services like pothole repair have left some voters disenchanted with Bass, whose unfavorable ratings top 50%.

She’s also been criticized for her handling of the Palisades Fire.

Here's a look at the candidate's standard positions so far in this election cycle:

Bass

The incumbent has said she understands that people are frustrated, but she’s “not done” doing the job of mayor.

“You want to hear frustrated?” Bass said at a recent campaign event. “I’m frustrated too. But I’ll tell you what frustration does to me. Frustration makes me fight even harder.”

She says there’s been progress: fewer homeless encampments in many neighborhoods, more permits issued to build affordable housing, and a drop in crime. Much of the establishment is backing Bass, including the L.A. County Democratic Party, L.A. County Federation of Labor and Chamber of Commerce.

Raman

A city council member since 2020, two years before Bass became mayor, Raman remains relatively unknown to many voters. She says running against “the political machine.”

Raman has touted a 49% drop in unsheltered homelessness in her council district, District 4, which runs from Silver Lake to Sherman Oaks, and she says she has a plan to cut street homelessness in half citywide by the Olympics and eliminate it entirely by the end of four years.

Her supporters include City Controller Kenneth Mejia, various local Democratic clubs and the Western States Carpenters Association.

Debate details

Sponsor: Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association
Location: Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd.
Timing: It is expected to run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Follow along: You can listen to the debate live on LAist 89.3 FM. To listen here. click the "Listen" button at the top right of your screen. You can also turn to 89.3 on your radio dial, listen in the LAist app or ask you smart speaker to play "LAist 89.3."