Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and challenger City Councilmember Nithya Raman will face off in a candidate forum on September 28, 2026. A coalition of local Jewish organizations is hosting the event. This upcoming gathering follows a series of rigorous debates and high-stakes policy clashes as both candidates campaign ahead of the November 3, 2026, general election.
Upcoming Forum Details and Sponsors
The candidate forum begins at 6:30 p.m. A broad coalition of community groups is sponsoring the event, including the Jewish Federation Los Angeles, the Skirball Cultural Center, Jewish Family Service LA, ADL Los Angeles, and AJC Los Angeles. Spectrum News One host Alex Cohen will moderate individual discussions with each candidate. The conversation will focus on key municipal topics such as homelessness, housing affordability, and essential basic services like street light and pothole repair.
This forum adds to a growing schedule of face-to-face showdowns between Bass and Raman. Both candidates advanced to the November runoff after finishing first and second in the June primary election. In the primary, Bass secured 34.3% of the vote while Raman garnered 29%, outpacing reality television personality Spencer Pratt.
Local television stations KNBC (Channel 4) and KVEA (Channel 52, Telemundo) have scheduled another major event. They will host a live one-hour debate on Tuesday, October 13, at 7 p.m. That broadcast features moderation from KNBC anchor Colleen Williams, chief political reporter Conan Nolan, and KVEA anchor Alejandra Ortiz, in partnership with Loyola Marymount University.
Core Policy Clashes: Homelessness and Public Safety
The central debates between Bass and Raman consistently spotlight homelessness, policing, housing policy, and each candidate’s record at City Hall. During previous forums, such as an August 19 event hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, both candidates traded sharp critiques over municipal results.
Bass champions her administration’s signature Inside Safe program. She argues that the city needs to take greater control over a fragmented system currently managed across multiple entities. These entities include the city, Los Angeles County, and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Bass emphasizes her goal to end street homelessness and expand affordable interim housing options.
Raman challenges the visible results on city streets. She points out that homelessness counts have fluctuated and argues that hundreds of millions of dollars spent have not yielded sufficient improvements. Raman calls for rigorous audits of homelessness spending, better oversight of city-funded shelter beds, and an expansion of street medicine and mental health response teams.
Policing, Housing, and City Hall Records
Public safety and police staffing also fuel intense debate. Bass defended police raises as necessary to retain officers amid department attrition. She also highlighted drops in homicides alongside alternative response programs. In contrast, Raman has criticized certain police contract costs. She advocates for a fully integrated, citywide civilian response system tied directly into 911 dispatch.
On housing, the candidates differ regarding state interventions like SB79, which aims to increase density near transit corridors. Bass opposes Sacramento overriding local zoning decisions. She favors local development protections for single-family neighborhoods alongside the conversion of vacant buildings. Raman argues that state intervention stems from the city’s failure to adequately plan for its housing deficit. She maintains that Los Angeles can balance neighborhood preservation with necessary growth.
As the November 3 general election approaches, voters have multiple opportunities to evaluate both candidates’ visions, management records, and strategies for leading the City of Los Angeles.
