Fox 11 Cancels Los Angeles Mayoral Forum as Bass and Raman Withdraw

Fox 11 has canceled its upcoming Los Angeles mayoral forum after Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman withdrew from the event.

The forum, hosted in collaboration with the League of Women Voters and the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, was forced to cancel after only two candidates remained to debate.

Why Did Bass and Raman Withdraw?

Mayor Karen Bass announced her withdrawal on Thursday, stating she would instead travel to Sacramento to lobby state officials for funding on homelessness and Palisades fire recovery.

Councilmember Nithya Raman initially agreed to participate to debate the incumbent mayor but pulled out on Monday after learning of Bass’s absence.

Original Participants and Declines

Five candidates were invited, and four originally committed: Bass, Raman, businessman Adam Miller, and community advocate Rae Huang. However, Spencer Pratt declined due to a scheduling conflict.

“We are very disappointed the forum is not taking place. 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.”

Representatives for the hosting organizations made the statement on Monday.

Event Details and Future Debates

The forum was scheduled to air live on Fox 11 on Wednesday and was to be moderated by anchors Marla Tellez and Bob DeCastro.

Earlier this month, NBC4’s mayoral debate featured three leading candidates: Bass, Pratt, and Raman. Additionally, Bass and Raman debated at the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association on Tuesday.

The canceled Fox 11 forum was expected to be the last featuring leading candidates before the June 2 primary.