3 leading candidates for LA mayor face off on homelessness, wildfires, film industry in fiery debate

Key Points:

• Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and primary challengers Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman debated key issues including wildfire management, homelessness, and the declining Hollywood film industry ahead of the Los Angeles mayoral primary election.
• Pratt positioned himself as the anti-incumbent, blaming Bass for inadequate wildfire response and reservoir management, while Bass defended her record and criticized the fire chief for sending firefighters home during the Palisades Fire.
• On homelessness, Bass highlighted a recent decrease in street homelessness and expedited affordable housing projects, whereas Raman proposed clearing half of homeless encampments before the 2028 Olympics and criticized costly motel placements as fiscally unsustainable.
• The candidates offered contrasting approaches to housing affordability: Bass focused on fast-tracking affordable housing units and adaptive reuse of office buildings, Raman emphasized expediting apartment approvals, and Pratt advocated clearing drug-affected areas to free up land for new housing.
• All three agreed public safety is the mayor's top priority amid rising home break-ins, but differed on strategies for funding and staffing the Los Angeles Police Department, with the debate marked by personal attacks and sharp policy disagreements.