Karen Bass Spars With Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman Over Wildfires and Homelessness in Los Angeles Debate

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced primary challengers Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman in a televised mayoral debate on Wednesday, May 6, with the race heading toward a June 2 primary election.

“LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A fiery debate was held on Wednesday between incumbent Karen Bass and two of her primary challengers in the race for Los Angeles mayor”

ABC7 Los Angeles

The candidates sparred over how to handle wildfires, homelessness and public safety, with Pratt framing himself as an anti-incumbent after the Palisades Fire.

ABC7 Los Angeles

Bass defended her wildfire response while shifting blame, saying, "The primary problem there was that the chief sent home 1,000 firefighters."

Pratt attacked Bass directly, saying, "Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together.

I blame this person for burning my house, and my parents' house, and my town -- all my neighbors down."

Homelessness became a central dividing line as Bass pointed to Inside Safe and expanded housing production, while Raman argued the city lacked urgency and accountability.

Bass said, "it is the first time we've had a decrease in street homelessness," and she added that Los Angeles saw homelessness drop by 17.5% while the country rose by 18%.

California Post

Raman said she would clear half of homeless encampments before the Olympics in 2028, arguing, "Let's not put them into $100,000 a year motel rooms for a year or more per person."

Pratt pushed a more enforcement-centered message, saying, "Inside Safe, I like to say, Inside Safe makes all of us outside unsafe," and he argued that people are on "super meth" and "fentanyl."

The debate also turned to a law enforcement operation at Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park on May 6, where NBC4 reported federal agents and Los Angeles Police Department officers searched several locations as part of a narcotics trafficking investigation.

“Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass came under heavy attack Wednesday night as challenger Spencer Pratt and Councilmember Nithya Raman turned a mayoral debate into a full-blown showdown over wildfires, crime and homelessness”

California Post

The U.S.

Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said 18 people were arrested, including two people authorities believe are "the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine" at MacArthur Park.

Bass said the operation was "ordered by the feds," while Pratt said, "I hope we have the FBI, the DEA, the CDC, the ATF — the more resources we can make the streets" of Los Angeles "safe with federal money, amazing."

The candidates also clashed over public safety staffing, with Bass saying, "Los Angeles is understaffed in terms of LAPD for the nation’s second-largest city," and Raman arguing she voted against a police contract that she said contributed to a "billion-dollar budget deficit."