Mayor Karen Bass has withdrawn from participating in a candidate forum scheduled for broadcast Wednesday on Fox11, the co-sponsors announced Saturday.
“The League of Women Voters and the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs regret to announce that Mayor Karen Bass has withdrawn from the televised Los Angeles mayoral forum,” according to a statement from the two organizations. “The forum was organized to give Los Angeles voters the opportunity to hear directly from candidates seeking to lead the city through a period of extraordinary challenges.”
Organizers said five candidates had been invited to participate and four had accepted: Bass, Councilwoman Nithya Raman, businessman Adam Miller and community advocate Rae Huang. The fifth candidate, television personality Spencer Pratt, declined citing a scheduling conflict.
Both Bass and Pratt participated in a mayoral debate last Wednesday, which was televised on NBC4. On Tuesday, Bass debated Raman in Sherman Oaks.
“We debated our top two opponents twice this week, and it’s been made clear that neither is up to the job,” Bass campaign spokesperson Alex Stack told City News Service on Saturday. “Mayor Bass will be in Sacramento that day fighting for funding for housing, homelessness, and Palisades recovery, and will also discuss the city and state partnership on the Olympics and World Cup,” he added.
“Mayor Bass’s withdrawal is disappointing,” the organizers’ statement said. “Public forums such as this are a cornerstone of democratic accountability. These forums provide voters with the opportunity to hear candidates share their perspectives, respond to questions, and engage with one another on issues facing Los Angeles.”