Coming into the first major mayoral debate, Los Angeles city resident Sapna Suresh wanted to understand how the potential alternatives to incumbent Mayor Karen Bass diagnose the problems the city is facing.
For the three candidates who attended the debate Monday, one diagnosis was clear: L.A. isn’t the city it could be.
- Adam Miller, founder of a homelessness nonprofit and self-described lifelong Democrat, said the city is “broken,” physically and figuratively.
- Nithya Raman, an L.A. city councilwoman, said the city is “challenged.”
- Rae Huang, a Presbyterian minister, community organizer and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said L.A. needs “new and fresh leadership.”
The candidates, among 40 to qualify for the June primary, answered questions about housing and transportation over the course of about an hour and a half in downtown L.A. The debate was organized by groups Streets for All and Housing Action Coalition. Streets for All founder Michael Schneider and Housing Action Coalition’s Southern California Director Jesse Zwick moderated.
Bass declined the invitation to participate. Spencer Pratt, another candidate surfacing high in polling, was invited but did not attend. The debate came on the heels of a poll released Sunday from UC Berkeley and the Los Angeles Times that showed her leading the crowded field, even while many voters say they view her unfavorably.
The poll found Bass had about 25% of support from likely voters. Raman, who entered the race just two months ago, is polling at 17%. Pratt, a former reality TV star, has 14% of support from those polled. Huang and Miller are each polling below 10%…