Rivals for LA mayor set to meet in forum as city struggles with homelessness, Hollywood job losses
Times Union reports: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two Democratic rivals seeking to lead troubled Los Angeles will meet in a high-stakes forum Tuesday just days before mail ballots drop, as voters weigh whether to stick with unpopular incumbent Karen Bass or turn to a little-known City Council member backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Nithya Raman. The contest has raised the possibility that the nation's second most populous city could follow New York's lead, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor, capping a stunning ascent for the far-left state lawmaker who promised to transform city government to restore power to the working class.