Candidates for LA Mayor and California Governor Face Off in Back-to-Back Debates

Harris announced her endorsement in a statement released Monday, just weeks ahead of California’s primary election.

Published: 5/5/2026, 2:25:42 PM EDT

Candidates for LA Mayor and California Governor Face Off in Back-to-Back Debates — Karen Bass (L) speaks after being sworn in as the mayor of Los Angeles by Vice President Kamala Harris during her inauguration at LA Live in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 11, 2022. (Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Three candidates in the race for Los Angeles mayor and seven gubernatorial hopefuls will face off on the debate stage Wednesday night, just weeks ahead of California's primary election.

NBC4 and Telemundo52 will host the back-to-back, live, one-hour debates at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Candidates will be pressed on issues focused on wildfires, immigration, homelessness, public safety, and quality of life.

All the candidates who appear on the debate stage Wednesday have qualified to participate by meeting or exceeding five percent in at least two reliable polls that meet NBC News standards.

Mayor’s Race

The mayor’s debate will be held first at 5 p.m. PT.

Incumbent mayor Karen Bass will participate in the debate, along with two challengers, Councilmember Nithya Raman and reality TV star Spencer Pratt.

Raman, a Democrat, has represented Council District 4 since 2020.

Pratt, a Republican who lost his home in the deadly Palisades wildfire last year, has called on Bass to resign following her handling of the wildfires.

Although Bass has polled a consistent frontrunner, she is only leading with just 25 percent of voter support, according to a Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll. More than a year after the Palisades Fire, 56 percent of those polled said they had an unfavorable view of her, while 31 percent viewed her favorably.

The same poll shows Raman drew 17 percent voter support and Pratt in third place at 14 percent.

But roughly 25 percent of Los Angeles residents still remain undecided, the poll states.

Governor’s Race

The governor’s debate will be held at 7 p.m. PT and will consist of seven candidates vying to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Former U.S. Health secretary, former state attorney general Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), environmental advocate and investor Tom Steyer, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are among the Democrats who will participate in Wednesday night’s debate.

The Republican candidates, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton, will also appear on the debate stage.

A new survey from the California Democratic Party, conducted last week by EVITARUS Research, shows Becerra and Hilton tied for first place in the race for governor, each with 18 percent support.

Bianco received 14 percent of support, while Steyer received four percent, according to the poll.

Notably, the survey shows that a number of undecided voters has dropped from 24 percent in March to 14 percent, signaling a big shift in interest in the high-profile race.

California's jungle primary system advances the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, to the general election in November.

The primary will be held June 2.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.