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Mayoral forum held at Skirball Cultural Center
Incumbent Karen Bass and her challenger Nithya Raman faced off at a forum held at the Skirball Cultural Center just weeks ahead of the Nov. 2026 general election.
LOS ANGELES - The race for Los Angeles mayor is entering its final stretch, with Karen Bass and Nithya Raman facing off Tuesday night at a packed forum hosted by several Jewish organizations.
With Election Day less than 35 days away, the candidates answered questions separately about antisemitism, homelessness, affordability and the 2028 Olympics.
But one issue quickly became a major focus of the night: Israel's war in Gaza — and whether the word "genocide" should be used to describe it.
Raman was asked about her previous use of the term.
"I have used that term. I’m not an expert on these issues, so I have looked to experts on these issues," Raman said. "That is what guided me on using that term on what’s happening in Gaza."
Bass was asked directly whether she believes "genocide" is an appropriate term.
"When I think of foreign affairs, my focus is on how they impact the city of L.A. And no, I don’t," Bass said.
The answers drew strong reactions from voters in the room.
"Genocide and BDS," one voter said when asked what stood out from the forum.
Another voter pointed to homelessness, affordability and the candidates’ positions on Israel as key issues.
For at least some voters, the forum appeared to influence their thinking.
One voter said he had not made up his mind before the event but was now "leaning" toward Bass.
Another voter sharply criticized Raman’s response to genocide.
"What Nithya said I thought was really abhorrent when she was asked about genocide," the voter said.
Another voter said Bass’ response caught her attention.
"It was gasp-worthy that the mayor of Los Angeles denied it’s a genocide," the voter said.
But another voter offered a different assessment of Bass.
"I was actually surprised by Bass, to be honest. I thought she did really well," the voter said. "I was not surprised by Nithya."
The forum comes as Raman holds an 11-point lead over Bass in the latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll of likely voters.
The poll found Raman with 39% support compared with 28% for Bass, while 33% of likely voters remained undecided.
The candidates are also competing for voters who backed other candidates in the June primary, including Spencer Pratt.
With ballots expected to begin going out Thursday, the two candidates have just weeks left to make their case to voters.