Sherman Oaks voters will see a one-on-one debate between Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman Tuesday evening at a forum hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association.
The neighborhood organization invited only Bass and Raman to participate in the forum. Several other leading mayoral candidates were not included in the invitation. The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association made a deliberate decision to host a focused event rather than a crowded stage filled with many candidates.
Raman represents Sherman Oaks on City Council while Bass serves as mayor of Los Angeles. The forum addresses critical issues facing the neighborhood including housing, homelessness, and public safety.
A campaign spokesperson for Adam Miller criticized the decision to exclude his candidate from the forum. The spokesperson stated that Miller offers a different approach to solving Los Angeles biggest issues.
The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association described the debate as a preview of the upcoming NBC4 televised forum. A wider slate of contenders will appear Wednesday during that broadcast.
Campaign finance filings show a competitive fundraising landscape among the leading candidates. Pratt reported raising nearly 540000 dollars since January 1. Raman raised about 530000 dollars during the same period. Bass brought in roughly 495000 dollars while maintaining a significantly larger war chest with nearly 2.3 million dollars in cash on hand.
The candidates previously took aim at Bass absence during a March 23 forum in the Westlake area. All three candidates described the city as deteriorating on housing affordability, homelessness, and basic services.