This is one outlet's own report from ABC7 Los Angeles — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportABC7 Los Angeles · 1h ago
LA mayor race: Raman says Bass' decision to pause safety project could be politically motivated
POLITICS LA mayor race: Raman says Bass' decision to pause safety project could be politically motivated By Josh Haskell Wednesday, August 19, 2026 7:50PM The general election is less than three months away and campaign season is heating up in the race for Los Angeles mayor and California governor. KABC LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The general election is less than three months away, with early voting starting in six weeks, and campaign season is heating up in the race for Los Angeles mayor and California governor.
Mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, who is hoping to prevent Mayor Karen Bass from serving a second term, held a press conference Tuesday on Forest Lawn Drive which is in her council district.
Forest Lawn Drive hasn't been paved in years and there's numerous safety concerns with drivers speeding around turns. It's become a frequent place for accidents.
Last Thursday, a motorist was killed in a fiery car crash early in the morning that also ignited a tree and damaged a traffic light. Raman had proposed a street safety project on Forest Lawn Drive that was paused by the mayor back in May.
Eyewitness News asked Raman why she thinks the project was paused and whether it could have something to do with her run for mayor.
"I do think that there have been interventions that have been made, both in projects like these and in committee assignments on the council that are politically motivated... People fear street safety improvements because they fear slowdowns in traffic. Even though the data doesn't support significant change to traffic speeds here, powerful entities here in this area have spoken up and said they don't want the street configuration changed. And it is in response to that, that the project was paused. And now we are seeing another fatality on this street," Raman said.
Mayor Bass and Councilwoman Raman will face off for the first time since the primary in a debate Wednesday night hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowner's Association.
Meanwhile, in the race for California's next governor, candidate Xavier Becerra held his own campaign event on Tuesday.
Becerra represented little Little Tokyo when he was in Congress and spent the afternoon reconnecting with local leaders and listening to the concern of business owners.
Becerra said some of the businesses he spoke with are worried about gentrification, the price of rent and staying in business.
A UC Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll released last week has Becerra with a commanding lead in the race at 55%, Republican Steven Hilton at 37% and 7% of voters still undecided.
When asked about critics who say Becerra is trying to lay low and coast his way to November, Becerra said: "This is all about making sure voters have a choice. We'll get out there and make sure we're front and center with them... I've done that all my life. When I was a member of Congress, I used to host town hall meetings, including here in Little Tokyo, so that folks could see who their representatives are."
Hilton did not hold any public campaign events Tuesday.
Early voting starts in 6 weeks and campaign season is heating up in the LA Mayor's Race.
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