Candidate Forums: City Attorney and L.A. Mayoral Races, Be an Educated Voter
Downtown L.A. residents have two opportunities to hear from the local candidates running for mayor and city attorney before the November election. DTLA RA (Downtown LA Residents Association) is hosting two events in October.
Wednesday, October 7, 6:30 – 7:45 pm - a virtual meeting with the two City Attorney candidates – John McKinney and Marissa Roy. When available, details on attending will be on SPNA’s social media and website https://www.spna-dtla.org/.
Thursday, October 15, 6-8 pm at Clifton’s at 648 S. Broadway with the mayoral candidates – incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. Councilmember Nithya Raman.
L.A. City Attorney Race
The city attorney oversees more than 550 lawyers representing L.A. in all legal matters, including filing lawsuits and defending against them — and L.A. is involved in a lot of lawsuits. The city attorney counsels city departments, boards, and officers on legal issues and on the interpretation of court rulings and the city charter. When the City Council proposes a law, the city attorney actually writes the law.
John McKinney (Deputy District Attorney)
McKinney is supported by public safety associations, law enforcement leadership, and business-aligned endorsements. His platform focuses on traditional municipal prosecution and public safety:
Public Safety and Crime Mitigation: Focuses on strengthening misdemeanor prosecutions to address quality-of-life crimes, retail theft, and public nuisance issues.
Municipal Governance and Risk Management: Prioritizes managing liability, protecting public funds, and advising city departments prudently without expanding the office into activist litigation.
Business and Economic Climate: Aims to create a predictable legal environment for local businesses and housing developers rather than imposing heavy regulatory litigation.
Key Endorsements: L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), and former district attorney Steve Cooley.
Marissa Roy (Deputy Attorney General)
Roy is backed by progressive officials, labor organizations, and environmental groups. Her platform emphasizes civil rights, tenant advocacy, and proactive litigation against federal policies:
Federal Policy and Federal Oversight: Vows to proactively challenge federal actions in court, protect L.A.’s sanctuary policies, and investigate corporate entities enabling immigration enforcement abuses.
Housing and Tenant Rights: Promises to form a dedicated Housing Justice Team to vigorously enforce the city’s Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance and prosecute non-compliant landlords.
Workers' and Consumer Rights: Focuses on prosecuting wage theft, eliminating worker misclassification, and supporting labor actions.
Key Endorsements: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, California AG Rob Bonta, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, and City Controller Kenneth Mejia.
L.A. Mayor Race
Office of Mayor - Under the Los Angeles City Charter, the mayor serves as the chief executive officer of the city government. While Los Angeles operates under a "weak-mayor" model—where the 15-member City Council holds legislative dominance and considerable control over land-use and local district decisions—the mayor exercises core administrative authority across several areas: department oversight and appointments, budget proposals, emergency management, administrative orders and policy for city departments, approves or vetoes ordinances passed by the City Council, represents the city. The mayor is not responsible for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), which is governed by an independently elected Board of Education, nor independent county agencies like the L.A. County Department of Public Health or Social Services.
Karen Bass (current L.A. Mayor)
Bass was elected mayor in 2022 and is running on what she says are her first-term successes: "Street homelessness is down for the first time in modern memory. Crime has fallen, with homicide levels lower than they've been since the 1960s. We’re accelerating nearly 40,000 units of housing after decades of under-building." Bass also cites her support of the police, film industry tax credits, and protections for immigrants. She has criticized Raman's previous opposition to no-camping zones and votes against police hiring and the banning of homeless encampments near schools.
Nithyan Raman (current L.A. City Councilperson)
Raman represents Los Angeles City Council District 4 and is an urban planner. She says, "I’m running for mayor because Los Angeles simply isn’t working the way it should, and we need more urgency to address our city’s biggest crises. My goal is to deliver a city that works again, where people can afford to live, can feel safe, and can trust that their government is delivering results." Raman says Bass represents the status quo and engages in "pay to play” politics, saying “special interests...the police union, business groups and Airbnb — spent heavily on Bass’s reelection," according to the Los Angeles Times. Raman also criticizes Bass for what she says is a failure to repair the streets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure, build new apartments, and prevent the loss of film industry jobs.
The primary issues defining the campaign include:
· Homelessness and Encampment Policy: Bass emphasizes her administration's progress in curbing street homelessness and expanding shelter capacity. Raman advocates for broader systemic planning, faster construction of permanent affordable housing, and critiques reliance on anti-camping enforcement zones.
· Housing Affordability and Urban Planning: High housing costs remain a focal point. Raman, an urban planner, pushes for zoning reforms, streamlining permitting, tenant protections, and expanding transit/bike infrastructure (such as Measure HLA implementations). Bass points to thousands of housing units accelerated under her term while balancing neighborhood stability concerns.
· Public Safety and Police Funding: Bass supports maintaining LAPD staffing levels and investment, while critiquing past votes by progressive members regarding police hiring. Ramanemphasizes expanding community-based public safety initiatives, unarmed mental health response teams, and stricter oversight.
· Small Business and Street Vending Regulations: Sidewalk vending regulations have emerged as a significant debate topic. Raman focuses on streamlining vendor permitting to incorporate operators into the formal economy. Bass advocates for stricter placement boundaries to protect brick-and-mortar storefronts.
For voters seeking nonpartisan voter guides, registration verification, or local voting logistics, visit the California Secretary of State Official Elections Division or the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Ballotpedia describes itself as “firmly committed to neutrality in all our content” and presents information on elections, politics, and policy. Bass and Ramen supplied material to Ballotpedia which can be accessed at -
Compiled by Debra Shrout