Bass and Raman face off in final debate before LA mayoral election

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman traded jabs in their final debate before November's election.

KNBC 4 and Telemundo 52 hosted the debate. The two candidates spared no time before clashing, with Bass referencing Raman's recent social media video with influencer Ed Choi.

"You called the city fascist," Bass said. "You called the police chief and me fascist."

When the video was released, Raman's campaign said the video was edited and that she "never used that phrase to describe Mayor Bass, Chief McDonnell or LAPD officers" and was referring to "ICE and the Trump administration's violent kidnappings" as fascist. 

Raman's campaign said they asked Choi to take down the video, which he did.

During the debate, she stood by her plan to replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell as the city is set to host the 2028 Olympics. 

"I want to replace the police chief," Raman said. "I've been very open about that. I've been very clear about that. I don't believe this chief has met the moment. I believe that he's lost the trust of Angelenos, especially in response to the ICE raids."

Bass criticized her, saying that her opponent does not know the work it takes to identify a suitable candidate for police chief. 

"We are 640 days away from the largest sporting event to ever take place, a major national security event," Bass said. 

The debate comes at a critical moment, where recent polls show Raman with a slight lead. However, a third of voters remain undecided.

"Angelenos, you're going to hear a lot of insults tonight, personal insults because this mayor cannot defend the record of the last four years," Raman said. 

The two also battled over key issues facing the city, including affordable housing and the homeless crisis.

"They're frustrated with the lack of progress," Raman said. "They're frustrated with the amount of money that's being spent without any accountability."