Editor’s Note:In what could be one of the most consequential elections inLos Angeles‘ history, the race this year for mayor sees two former allies in an increasingly sharp bid to take over City Hall. With many issues in the contest between incumbent MayorKaren Bassand CouncilmemberNithya Ramanimpacting the entertainment industry, Deadline sat down with the contenders to hear their visions for the city.

“I think that she knows that she moved too slowly in her role as mayor to do the work to keep Hollywood here and to make it possible for productions to stay here,” Los Angeles mayoral contender Nithya Raman says of incumbent Karen Bass and the latter’s seemingly sudden attention to years of production decline in the City of Angels.

“I think she wants to muddy the waters,” the former Time’s Up executive director added of Bass’ attacks on Raman’s industry relief record and simultaneous lifting of some of her Hollywood proposals.Watch on Deadline

With less than a month before the June 2 primary vote, Raman and Bass are going head-to-head tonight for the first time this election. The duo will share the stage in a debate hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association. The candidates will follow that up Wednesday with another debate, this time at the Skirball Cultural Center. The May 6 meetup will includeThe HillsalumSpencer Pratt.

RELATED:Reality TV Star Spencer Pratt Vows To “Expose The System” As He Launches L.A. Mayoral Bid

A veteran electoral street fighter, ex-Congresswoman Bass has lashed out lately with attacks on former ally Raman and some scored odd face time withDonald Trumpin the Oval Office. After getting an endorsement fromKamala Harrison Monday, Bass has also let loose with a flurry of new proposals and programs – some of which sound a lot like Raman’s plans if the latter won the election.

Meanwhile, former Pacific Palisades resident Pratt has been getting a lot of attention of late with an ad campaign highlighting the loss of his home in last year’s L.A. wildfires. Pitching his outsider status and reality TV name recognition (hmmm… who does that remind you of?), Pratt (who now rents a spread in Santa Barbara County) has been pounding on the perception that L.A.’s political elite is woefully out of touch.

Bass is presently leading in polls, with Raman and Pratt separated by only a percentage point or two for second or third place. There could be a run-off in November if no single candidate gets 50% or more on the primary vote in June. As it stands, polls show the vast majority of Angelenos are in the “don’t know” category.

With that, Raman, a two-term L.A. City Council member, sat down with Deadline to discuss the production crisis in the city, as well as job losses and other fears fromParamount’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. Married to a TV writer and producer, Raman also addressed conflict of interest accusations from the Bass camp and the up-close and personal swipes from Pratt.

DEADLINE:Let’s get the dirty business of running for office out of the way first. The Bass campaign has slammed you over your record on City Council on the film and TV industry. They called you out for recusing yourself earlier this year from four Council votes on the entertainment industry based on conflict of interest. Specifically, they point to your husband’s job as a writer and producer, and that this could impact your effectiveness on this issues if you became mayor. You’ve talked about your commitment to bring production back to LA as personal, so what is your response to this very personal attack?

Source: Drudge Report