Mayoral Debate Gets Canned as Candidates Seek Other Paths

Since March 23, when the first mayoral debate hit, there’s been a spotty selection of forums for discourse and interaction among the frontrunners.

This past week’s cancellation of what was being viewed as the final debate ahead of the June 2 primary is emblematic of candidates’ priorities in looking to make the biggest impact to win over voters.

For Spencer Pratt, there’s been a heavy social media strategy, including an appearance from podcaster Joe Rogan. Housing advocate Rae Huang has set up tables at colleges offering free pizza and took an interview with local photographer Jonathan Hale this past week. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and 4th District Council Member Nithya Raman agreed to speak directly to Sherman Oaks residents at a debate hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association that was so popular, listeners spilled out into a courtyard outside the venue as some clamored right outside the entrance to hear the incumbent and her former supporter duke it out.

This past week’s forum fizzled out. Originally set for May 13 and hosted by the League of Women Voters and Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, the debate would have aired on Fox 11 and served as the second televised debate.

Bass, Raman, Huang and tech entrepreneur Adam Miller were set to spar. Spencer Pratt was not confirmed due to a scheduling conflict.

Bass dropped out first. That caused Raman to then duck out since she viewed the event as a way to “debate the incumbent,” according to a joint statement from the League of Women Voters and Pat Brown Institute. That left Huang and Miller, who — based on the decision to cancel — are clearly not viewed as viable enough for airtime on Fox. Both candidates polled in the single digits, with Huang at 4 percent and Miller at 7 percent, in an Emerson College Polling survey released May 13.

The joint statement on the cancellation had the two event organizers saying they were “very disappointed” in the series of events as “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.”

One foot in …

Raman may not have nabbed an endorsement from the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America or Bernie Sanders, who backed her six years ago when she ran for City Council.

Still, she did get a win of sorts from the DSA. The group is recommending the council member in its voter guide. It’s not the same as an endorsement, but still could prove key in helping her advance in a race many assume will move to a November run-off.

As of Friday, there was no response from the DSA-LA to The Real Deal’s May 13 inquiry on its recommendation over an explicit endorsement.

Meanwhile, in addressing concerns over splitting the progressive vote between herself and Raman, Huang recently said she’s not going anywhere. The reason? Huang considers Raman to be “part of the establishment” and does “not consider Nithya to be a progressive candidate.”

A real one

Last minute donations to candidates continue at a fast pace — at least for some.

Pratt received another lift from a big real estate name in Tracy Tutor, who donated $1,000 to his campaign. She applauded Pratt for his honesty in offering some thoughts to TRD on the reason for her support.

“Spencer Pratt is saying things that many Angelenos have been thinking for years but won’t say out loud,” she said, adding he isn’t “manufactured.”

She joined other industry heavy hitters — such as billionaire apartment developer Geoff Palmer, Newmark’s Jay Luchs, Beverly Hills Estates’ Jacqueline Chernov and Westside Estate Agency’s Kurt Rappaport — in lending support to team Pratt.

Boiling point

It’s becoming clear the members of the ad hoc committee for Measure United to House Los Angeles are looking to insert their own views into the public discussions that have been taking place for over a month now on proposed changes to the tax.

Friday’s meeting of the group, which is tasked with evaluating all ULA matters before they go to the full council, offered a good example.

While the meeting mainly focused on the results of a Los Angeles Housing Department analysis on the impacts of proposed exemptions, a scuffle emerged over the interpretation of data among the two committee members present for the meeting. It proved the discord over competing studies will continue to be a major headwind in making progress on what to do about the so-called mansion tax.