Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman will debate homelessness, policing, housing and other City Hall issues on Aug. 19 in a forum hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association. The event is sold out but will be available by live stream and an LAist audio feed. The debate follows public concern over a prolonged Boyle Heights warehouse fire and recent reports that a poll showing Bass with a large lead was fake. More polling is expected ahead of the Nov. 3 mayoral election.
Bass, Raman Face Off Aug. 19 in LA Mayoral Debate on Homelessness, Policing and Housing
From left, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will debate on housing, safety and other topics in Sherman Oaks on Aug. 19, 2026, as part of the race for Los Angeles mayor.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman will meet for a public debate on Wednesday, Aug. 19, to discuss homelessness, policing, housing and other key City Hall priorities as the Nov. 3 mayoral election approaches.
The forum is presented by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association. Organizers say the candidates will address public safety across the city, challenges facing small businesses, economic opportunity, housing policy and related municipal issues.
Since the June primary — when Raman narrowly beat former reality-TV personality Spencer Pratt to secure a place in the runoff — the campaign has sharpened over several local controversies. A prolonged cold-storage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights drew criticism of the city’s response after days of smoke that left residents complaining of a lingering foul odor, increased reports of pests and concerns about air quality. Raman publicly challenged the mayor in July over air-quality monitoring and the city’s handling of the incident.
For her part, Bass’s campaign has pointed to the administration’s response and recovery work following the Boyle Heights fire while questioning Raman’s track record on housing policy. The exchange highlights the broader themes voters are likely to hear about at the debate: public safety, homelessness response, housing affordability and neighborhood quality of life.
The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association previously hosted a mayoral forum ahead of the June primary that both candidates attended. As of Aug. 15 the Aug. 19 event was reported as sold out, but the association says the program will be available via live stream and as an audio feed on LAist.
The debate comes shortly after The Los Angeles Times reported that a widely circulated poll showing Bass with an almost 12-point lead over Raman was fake. Campaign watchers expect more polls to be released as the election nears.
Event Details: The debate is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. PDT on Aug. 19. The Los Angeles mayoral election is set for Nov. 3.
Background: Karen Bass was elected mayor of Los Angeles in 2022. Nithya Raman was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, defeating an incumbent to take her seat.
Reporting by Paris Barraza for the USA TODAY Network.
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