The first Los Angeles mayoral debate of the election cycle is set for Monday evening, with candidates expected to address key issues including housing, homelessness and transportation.
The event, titled “Shaping Los Angeles: A Debate About the Future of LA,” will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at L.A. Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles and will also be livestreamed, organizers said.
The debate is being hosted by the Housing Action Coalition and Streets For All, two advocacy organizations focused on housing and transportation policy.
Organizers said the discussion will focus on issues that polls show on are top concerns for voters, including the high cost of housing, homelessness and the need for improved infrastructure and transit systems.
Confirmed participants include Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, community organizer Rae Huang and nonprofit founder and tech executive Adam Miller.
Raman formally launched her campaign for mayor March 8, weeks after her surprise decision to enter the race against incumbent and former political ally Karen Bass.
“I’ve spent the last five years in City Hall, and I’ve tried so hard,” Raman said at the event.
“My team and I have tried so hard to intervene aggressively on the most urgent issues that this city is facing, our housing and homelessness crisis, building a better safety response, getting our basic services to work for people. But over and over again, in the building, in City Hall, I found myself running into a wall of reluctance, a reluctance to move forward with the transformative policy change that this city needs right now.”
Raman said that reluctance, in her view, stems from political caution and a fear of angering voters, which she believes is preventing the city from making needed changes. She said Los Angeles has the ability to tackle its biggest challenges.
The councilwoman filed paperwork last month to run for mayor ahead of the June 2 primary election. Her decision to run came amid a shifting field of potential challengers in the days leading up to the filing deadline.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath ended weeks of speculation about a potential run, announcing last month that she would instead focus on her campaign for a second term on the Board of Supervisors.
Two other prominent figures decided against entering the race. Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner withdrew from consideration after the sudden death of his 22-year-old daughter, Emily, in January. Beutner said the loss required him to focus on his family rather than the demands of a mayoral campaign.
Billionaire developer Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, also ruled out another run last month after considering the possibility earlier in the year.
Huang announced her candidacy in November 2025 with an online campaign video, followed by a news conference at City Hall. If elected, she would become the city’s first Asian American woman mayor.
“Housing in Los Angeles has become so expensive that it’s now out of reach for far too many Angelenos,” Huang said on her campaign website. “Our affordability and homelessness crises continue to deepen: low-income homeowners are struggling to hold on, and a majority of renters are rent-burdened. … Rather than relying on short-term fixes, we need smart, long-term, structural solutions that address the root causes of L.A.’s housing crisis.”
Miller has framed his campaign around expanding housing supply and modernizing city infrastructure.
“My wife and I raised our kids here, and like so many families across the city, we want them to be able to live, work, and thrive in the neighborhoods they call home,” Miller said on his website. “Today, too many Angelenos are being priced out, feeling less safe, and losing faith that City Hall can deliver. I believe we can do better — with a clear plan, practical solutions, and leadership that knows how to get things done.”
Other challengers to Bass include reality television personality Spencer Pratt, who is not scheduled to participate in Monday’s debate.
“This election comes at a critical moment for L.A.,” said Jesse Zwick, Southern California director of the Housing Action Coalition. “Too many people are being priced out of housing or living without shelter, while at the same time housing construction lags far behind where it needs to be to reduce costs and provide enough housing for the unhoused. We need to hear directly from the candidates what they plan to do to make L.A. more affordable and reduce homelessness.”
Attendance is free, but space is limited, organizers said.