Larry Mantle (left) and Raphael Sonenshein

As Los Angeles inches closer to electing a new mayor, there remains much discussion over the issues facing the next leader of the city.

Two experts on Los Angeles politics will meet to discuss the political future of L.A. on April 16 at the 2013 Envisioning California Lecture in California State University, Northridge’s Little Theater in Nordhoff Hall.

CSUN’s Center for Southern California Studies will host “A Conversation with Larry Mantle and Raphael Sonenshein: The Los Angeles Mayor’s Race” at 6:30 p.m. followed by a reception at 7:45 p.m., where guests can meet with the experts in an informal context.

“Because Los Angeles is such a big place, it’s hard for casual observers to understand what challenges are facing the next mayor of L.A.,” said CSUN history professor Josh Sides, director of the Center for Southern California Studies. “We’ll have two leading experts on L.A. and L.A. politics sharing their insights on the election.”

The lecture will feature Larry Mantle, the host of “AirTalk” on KPCC Southern California Public Radio, the longest continuously running daily talk program in the Los Angeles radio market. Mantle has interviewed thousands of prominent guests on various topics and has received many journalistic awards in the process.

Joining Mantle in the conversation will be Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. He is the author of three books on Los Angeles politics and government.

“These two men will be illuminating what the top issues are in the upcoming elections in an entirely nonpartisan and non-recommending way,” Sides said.

The Center for Southern California Studies was established in 1996 to provide research, education and service on public policy issues facing Southern California. The center advances its objectives by integrating policy initiatives with community involvement to affect change throughout Los Angeles.

For more information and to RSVP, call (818) 677-4030 or visit the Center for Southern California Studies website, www.csun.edu/cscs.

Center for Southern California Studies, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of History, Lectures