LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Two Los Angeles mayoral candidates were called-out Sunday night for “no-showing” an LGBTQ-sponsored debate that they agreed to attend more than one month ago, according to organizers.
L.A. City Councilmembers Joe Buscaino and Kevin de León initially agreed to be two of the five candidates debating at the forum, hosted by The Stonewall Democratic Club (SDC) and moderated by the National Association of Black Journalists L.A.
“Despite having confirmed participation in this event, over a month ago … Joe Buscaino and Kevin de León canceled last minute, very last minute, due to scheduling conflicts,” said SDC Club President Alex Mohajer.
“We would hope that candidates for mayor in our city would prioritize the LGBTQ community and other community stakeholders like the minority aids project,” Mohajer continued.
United States Congresswoman Karen Bass, L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer, Central City Association CEO Jessica Lall and Businessman Craig Greiwe attended the event, discussing their platforms and credentials for mayor.
The candidates were asked to address a handful of issues, including homelessness, housing affordability, crime and climate change, City News Service reported.
Greiwe said he did not want to minimize the problem by saying that the number of unhoused residents was between 50,000 and 60,000 people — a number around the size of a full football stadium.
“Are you telling me we can't fix a stadium-size problem? We can,” he said, citing ways in which other cities have tackled the issue, and claiming he could eliminate homelessness after his first year in office, CNS reported.
Feur and Bass also made promises to eliminate homeless in the city, saying it needed to be addressed quickly, like a “natural disaster” Bass said.
Other candidates running to replace Eric Garcetti include Councilmembers Buscaino and de León, real estate agent Mel Wilson and entrepreneur Ramit Varma.
The primary for the 2022 election will take place on June 7, 2022, with the top two sparring in the Nov. 8 general election. SDC members, who hosted the Sunday debate, are set to vote to endorse a candidate on Dec. 20, according to CNS.
City News Service contributed to this story.
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