L.A. Mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman will meet Tuesday in a forum co-hosted by the Jewish Federation, and are expected to discuss the homelessness crisis, the war in Gaza, and the upcoming Olympics.
Bass, the incumbent mayor, has been battling unpopularity at the end of her term, largely due to her response to the devastating Palisades fires in 2025 that killed 12 and destroyed 5,800 homes. Many Palisades residents feel that Bass handled the disaster poorly, and point out that she failed to act quickly enough, despite knowledge of fire hazard conditions. Bass was on a diplomatic trip to Ghana when the fires erupted, but returned the following day. Earlier this year, a food warehouse erupted into flames in Boyle Heights, while Bass was on a trip to Chicago to celebrate the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, reopening old wounds about Bass’ fire response, and potentially costing her the Latino vote which helped her win the election in 2022.
Nithya Raman, a City Council member who once endorsed Bass but has since decided to run herself, is backed by the Democratic-Socialists of America. At the forum, both candidates are expected to be asked their stance on the war in Gaza, and how to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish residents in L.A. Raman has faced criticism from the Jewish community for describing the war in Gaza as a genocide during an interview with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
Both candidates have made it a top priority to combat homelessness across the city. Bass was able to decrease homelessness for two years in 2024 and 2025, although homelessness is now up 7.9% in 2026. Still, Bass had an 11% overall decrease in homelessness during her term. Raman, on the other hand, has decreased homelessness by 49% in her own District 4, which includes neighborhoods like Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Sherman Oaks.
The candidates are also expected to discuss the city’s plans to accommodate the upcoming Olympic Games during Tuesday’s forum.
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