Raman Overtakes Pratt as Ballot Count Reshapes LA Mayor Primary
Less than a week after election night results placed reality television star Spencer Pratt ahead of City Councilmember Nithya Raman, the race for second place in Los Angeles’ mayoral primary has flipped. According to the latest update from the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder on June 7, Raman now holds 27.1% of the vote, edging out Pratt’s 26.7% — a lead of roughly 3,100 votes. With 83% of the expected vote tallied, Mayor Karen Bass remains in first place with 34.7%, having already secured a spot in the November runoff.
Mail-in ballots postmarked by June 2 are still being accepted through Tuesday, but election analysts say the trend lines have shifted decisively. Raman gained more than 19,000 votes in the latest update, while Pratt added fewer than 8,500. “The odds have shifted dramatically in Raman’s favor,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, a former council member who now directs the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA. “The trend is clear. She has been gaining on Pratt for the last three or four days. There’s no reason to believe that will change.”
Why the Second-Place Spot Matters
Under Los Angeles’ nonpartisan primary system, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote — which Bass did not — the top two finishers advance to a November runoff. With Bass already qualified, the fight between Raman and Pratt is for the right to face an incumbent mayor who, while she did not cross the 50% threshold, holds a comfortable lead. However, the second-place finisher could still mount a credible challenge, especially if they consolidate support from voters who backed other candidates in the primary.
Pratt, best known for his role on MTV’s “The Hills,” ran a campaign fueled by massive social media engagement, capturing attention with viral videos and a promise to bring fresh energy to City Hall. For a time, it looked like that strategy might carry him into the runoff. On election night, he held a narrow lead over Raman, stunning many political observers who had written off his candidacy as a publicity stunt. But as mail-in ballots — traditionally more Democratic and more likely to favor established politicians — were counted, Raman steadily closed the gap.
Raman, who was first elected to the City Council in 2020, has framed her campaign around housing affordability, police reform, and environmental justice. She is the first Asian American woman and first South Asian to serve on the City Council. Her late entry into the mayor’s race came in February, after she initially endorsed Bass for reelection. That reversal became a central point of attack from the Bass campaign, which has criticized Raman for allowing homeless encampments near schools and opposing hiring additional police officers.
A Tight Race With Broader Implications
The outcome of this race will shape the general election debate in a city grappling with homelessness, public safety, and economic uncertainty. If Raman secures the second slot, the runoff will likely focus on ideological contrasts between Bass’s more moderate record and Raman’s progressive platform. If Pratt somehow reclaims the lead, the race would take on a different character entirely, pitting a celebrity populist against a seasoned incumbent.
Analysts note that the close margins underscore how fractured the LA electorate has become. None of the three leading candidates cracked 35%, and the combined vote for Bass and Raman — two Democrats with overlapping policy goals — still falls short of a majority. That opens space for Pratt, who has no formal party affiliation, to argue that neither establishment candidate can unite the city.
Beyond the local stakes, the LA mayor’s race is being watched nationally as a bellwether for Democratic politics in 2026. Will voters reward progressive challengers or stick with incumbents who emphasize competence? The answer may depend on whether Raman can hold her narrow lead and then broaden her coalition in a runoff.
What Happens Next
Election officials expect to finish processing the remaining 368,000 ballots by midweek. If Raman’s lead holds, she will face Bass in what promises to be a grueling five-month campaign. The Bass campaign has already signaled its attack lines, accusing Raman of being soft on crime and failing to protect Hollywood jobs. Raman, in turn, is likely to highlight Bass’s record on homelessness and her close ties to the real estate industry.
Regardless of the final count, Pratt’s campaign has already defied expectations. A reality TV star with no political experience came within striking distance of a runoff for mayor of the nation’s second-largest city. Even if he ends up in third place, his performance suggests that celebrity-driven campaigns remain a potent force in American politics — one that traditional candidates ignore at their peril.
For now, all eyes are on the registrar’s office. As Yaroslavsky put it: “It is still close, but she is at this point more likely to be in the runoff than Pratt is.” The final answer will come within days.
This article includes reporting from the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, and ABC News.
For more coverage of California politics and environmental shifts, read about Lake Powell’s Retreat Reveals Reborn Ecosystems in Glen Canyon.
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