Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has withdrawn from the next City of Angels mayoral candidate forum just days after the last debate in which she took heat from opponent Spencer Pratt.
The hosts of the forum, the League of Women Voters and the Pat Brown Institute for Public
Affairs, announced her withdrawal from the event, scheduled to air on Fox 11 on Wednesday, in a public statement on social media. The hosts said they “have a long track record of co-sponsoring candidate forums that are fair, non-partisan, substantive, and focused on issues that matter most to voters.”
Recommended Stories
“Mayor Bass’s withdrawal is disappointing. 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,” the statement read.
Bass campaign spokesperson Alex Stack told Fox 11 that the mayor could not be in attendance because she will be in Sacramento.
“Mayor Bass will be in Sacramento that day fighting for funding for housing, homelessness, and Palisades Fire recovery, and will also discuss the city and state partnership on the Olympics and World Cup,” Stack told the outlet.
The remaining mayoral candidates left in Wednesday’s forum will be Councilmember Nithya Raman, businessman Adam Miller, and community advocate Rae Huang, according to the hosts. Republican candidate and former reality TV star Pratt was invited to the forum but had previously declined due to a scheduling conflict.
Pratt has gained momentum on social media and in the race in the past few weeks after videos supporting his campaign and his best debate moments have gone viral on the internet. Pratt, who launched his campaign largely based on frustration with how Bass’s administration handled the 2025 wildfires, slammed the mayor for her response to the Pacific Palisades fires in last week’s debate.
SPENCER PRATT SHEDS ‘JOKE’ CANDIDATE LABEL AS MOMENTUM GROWS IN LA MAYOR RACE
“I blame this person for burning my house and my parents’ house and my town and all my neighbors’ town,” Pratt said, referring to Bass.
The primary to determine which two candidates head to the Nov. 3 general election will be held on June 2.
