Los Angeles, October 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian-American Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has called for a change in police leadership over the Los Angeles Police Department’s handling of federal immigration raids, setting up a sharp clash with Mayor Karen Bass during the city’s mayoral runoff campaign.
The two candidates faced off on Tuesday in their only televised head-to-head debate, hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52 in Universal City, with immigration enforcement, police leadership and the city’s governance emerging as key points of contention.
Raman accused the LAPD of appearing to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, arguing that the department’s approach was creating fear among immigrant communities.
However, she stopped short of committing to a timeline for replacing Police Chief Jim McDonnell, saying the decision could not be made unilaterally by the mayor.
Bass strongly opposed the proposal, questioning Raman’s understanding of the process involved in identifying a police chief and warning that replacing McDonnell ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics could throw the police department into “disarray”.
“Now is not the time to turn the city over to Nithya Raman,” Bass said during the debate.
The candidates also clashed over their handling of the Palisades fire. Raman accused Bass of being “missing in action” during the emergency and said City Hall was facing a “crisis of trust”.
Bass responded by expressing regret over her absence during the crisis, saying, “I am so profoundly sorry that I was not in my city when my city needed me.”
Another point of contention was an Instagram video released by Raman’s campaign that used the phrase “fascist liars”. Raman said the video had been mis-edited and was subsequently removed. Bass criticised her rival, telling her, “You are not ready for prime time.”
Assessments of the debate were mixed. Politico’s California Playbook described the contest as lacking a decisive moment, while Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez gave Bass the edge.
On prediction market Kalshi, Raman’s chances of winning rose from 55 per cent before the debate to 57 per cent afterwards, while Bass stood at 43 per cent. No new opinion poll had been released following the debate.
Bass led the June 2 primary with 34 per cent of the vote against Raman’s 29 per cent. However, a September poll conducted by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the Los Angeles Times put Raman ahead at 39 per cent to Bass’s 28 per cent, with around one-third of voters undecided.
Both candidates have raised approximately $2.5 million for the runoff, while outside groups have spent heavily on their behalf. The Los Angeles Police Protective League has committed at least $3.5 million in support of Bass, while a carpenters’ council has spent $9 million backing Raman, with two-thirds of that amount coming from donor Aaron Sosnick.
The mayoral runoff is scheduled for November 3. If elected, Raman would become the first Indian-American mayor of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States.
Los Angeles has been at the centre of protests and legal disputes over federal immigration enforcement raids. The city is also preparing to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, making public safety and police leadership significant issues in the mayoral contest.
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