Bass, Raman duke it out at fierce Los Angeles debate

(The Center Square) – With the general election ballots already mailed out and the race drawing national attention, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman faced off in a tense debate Tuesday night.

The live broadcast was hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52, both based in Universal City in the Los Angeles area.

Addressing a large, undecided voter pool, the two leaders sparred over their records on homelessness, public safety, emergency response and the city's economic future ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. At one point, Bass apologized for her absence when the Palisades Fire erupted.

Homelessness emerged as the primary battleground of the evening.

Bass defended her administration's record, pointing to programs like Inside Safe as the driving force behind a reported 11% reduction in overall homelessness and a 50% drop in veteran homelessness.

"I declared a state of emergency,” said Bass, a Democrat, former congresswoman and California Assembly speaker. “We have reduced homelessness by 11% … Street homelessness declined for the first time in the city of Los Angeles."