LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A much-anticipated Los Angeles mayoral debate featuring incumbent Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman was set to take place Tuesday evening in Sherman Oaks, though several other leading candidates were not invited to participate.
The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association opted to invite only Bass and Raman, excluding other candidates such as Spencer Pratt, Adam Miller and Rae Huang.
“In a time when political forums can often feel crowded, chaotic, and more performative than productive, we have made a deliberate decision to do something different,” the association wrote in its description of the debate. “Rather than hosting a stage filled with a long list of candidates, we have chosen to invite these two leaders specifically because they represent Sherman Oaks on two critical — and complementary — levels of government.”
A spokesperson for Miller’s campaign criticized the decision to exclude him from the forum.
“Adam Miller is the only real changemaker in this race with a proven record of delivering results. It’s a missed opportunity for these voters not to hear directly from a candidate offering a different approach to solving LA’s biggest issues, especially on housing, homelessness, and public safety,” the spokesperson said Sunday.
Representatives for Pratt and Huang did not respond to requests for comment.
A wider slate of contenders could appear Wednesday, when a televised forum is scheduled with NBC4’s Colleen Williams and Conan Nolan along with Telemundo 52’s Enrique Chiabra. The station said participants must register at least 5% support in two reliable 2026 polls to qualify.
Last month, campaign finance filings showed a competitive fundraising landscape among the leading candidates.
Pratt reported raising nearly $540,000 since Jan. 1, followed closely by Raman with about $530,000.
Bass brought in roughly $495,000 during the same period, while maintaining a significantly larger war chest with nearly $2.3 million in cash on hand.
Miller has largely self-funded his campaign, lending it $2.5 million, in addition to raising about $200,000, while Huang reported raising more than $165,000 this year.
The campaign’s first debate, held March 23 in the Westlake area, featured Raman, Miller and Huang, while Bass and Pratt did not participate.
During that forum, the candidates criticized what they described as the city’s deteriorating conditions, particularly on housing affordability, homelessness and basic services.
Miller argued the city was “broken,” while Huang called for new leadership and more aggressive government-led housing construction, and Raman pointed to her record on housing and transportation policy while acknowledging past fiscal challenges.
The three also outlined differing approaches to increasing housing supply, including proposals to expand multifamily development and reform Measure ULA, the voter-approved tax on high-value property sales.
All three candidates took aim at Bass’ absence, using the debate to draw contrasts and outline their visions for the city’s future.
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