Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) traded barbs with her primary opponents in a contentious debate Tuesday night, as the crowded field vying to lead the nation's second-largest city clashed over wildfire response, homelessness, and immigration policy just a month before the primary election.
Councilmember Nithya Raman (D), representing District 4, set the tone early by framing the race as a referendum on Bass's leadership. “Our mayor is the CEO of the city. She sets the direction of this city. And if you are satisfied with the status quo, then I've got great news for you. The incumbent is on the ballot,” Raman declared, adding, “What I'm here to say is that we need more urgency to respond to the issues right now.”
Nonpartisan candidate Spencer Pratt, a reality television personality, escalated the rhetoric by calling Bass “an incredible liar” over her characterization of wildfire circumstances, prompting moderators to instruct “no name-calling.” The exchange underscored the deep frustration over Bass's handling of last year's devastating fires, which burned more than 23,000 acres in and around Los Angeles, destroying thousands of homes and structures in Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu.
Bass faced significant backlash for an ill-timed trip abroad as the crisis unfolded. On the debate stage, she acknowledged the misstep: “It was one of the worst moments of my life to not be here when my city needed me, and it didn't matter where I was or why I was away.” Still, she argued for a second term, pointing to a 17.5 percent reduction in street homelessness during her tenure and efforts to build affordable housing. “We have made significant progress in a variety of areas,” she insisted.
When pressed on whether she made a mistake in budgeting for wildfire preparedness, Bass deflected, saying, “The same way that L.A. was not prepared, neither was the county.” The fires and subsequent criticism have weighed heavily on her approval ratings, with polls showing a significant share of voters undecided.
Immigration also emerged as a flashpoint, with each candidate asked whether non-citizens should be allowed to vote in local elections—a proposal recently floated by a city councilman. Bass gave a nuanced response: “Well, first of all, when you say non-citizens, it doesn't mean they're here illegal. It doesn't mean they're undocumented. They could have green cards, they could be here perfectly legal. And there's a lot of states and cities that do that on very, very local elections. We have to see what the councilman is proposing,” she said, answering “it depends.” Raman echoed a similar stance, while Pratt simply said “no.”
Bass, a progressive who defeated wealthy Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso in 2022, also navigated protests last summer over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which prompted President Trump to send National Guard troops into Los Angeles. The debate came as the Trump administration's broader immigration policies continue to roil cities nationwide, a dynamic reminiscent of tensions seen in other primaries, such as the Ohio GOP House primary where immigration was a central issue.
Polling in the race has been sparse, but two March surveys showed Bass with a clear lead. An Emerson College Polling survey placed Pratt in second, while data from the University of California Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies showed Raman as runner-up. Under California's unique primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. If Pratt emerges, he would likely face a Democrat in a classic blue-on-red matchup, but a Bass-Raman runoff remains a distinct possibility.
At one point, Raman accused Bass and Pratt of attacking her “because they want to run against each other.” Pratt fired back: “First off, Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together. I blame this person for burning my house and my parents' house and my town and all my neighbors down. … Second off, if I wanted to run against anybody, it would be the council member who is terrible.”
Other candidates in the race, including tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and community organizer Rae Huang, both Democrats, did not participate in the debate. The event was the first of a double-header hosted by NBC LA and Telemundo 52, with California's gubernatorial candidates set for their own debate later Wednesday evening. The governor's race has also seen its share of heated exchanges, as Attorney General Xavier Becerra faced fire from rivals in a recent debate.
