Nithya Raman advances to LA mayoral runoff, overtaking Spencer Pratt

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman has advanced to a November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass after overtaking former reality television personality Spencer Pratt for the second spot in the mayoral race.

With 93% of votes counted as of Monday evening, Raman held 28.5% of the vote, or approximately 229,576 votes, while Pratt stood at 25.83%, or 207,757 votes. Bass maintained a commanding lead with 34.3%, or 375,992 total votes. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election under California's primary system, regardless of party affiliation.

Raman's surge came as mail ballots continued to be processed over the weekend and into Monday. Pratt had held a substantial lead for days following the June 2 election, maintaining second place as initial results were reported. However, as the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder released additional ballot counts, Raman steadily closed the gap. By Sunday, she surpassed Pratt by less than a percentage point, and her lead widened further with subsequent vote drops.

Pratt, a Republican and former star of the reality television series "The Hills," had drawn national attention for his candidacy challenging liberal governance in the heavily Democratic city of nearly 4 million residents. His campaign had outpaced Bass in fundraising during portions of the race. However, the celebrity appeal did not translate into sufficient votes to secure a runoff spot.

Raman, a progressive city council member elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America, had made a last-minute entry into the race after previously endorsing Bass for reelection. The November matchup will pit two Democrats against each other in a contest to lead the city.

On Monday, Pratt issued a statement on social media urging supporters not to concede. "Folks, we're dealing with a fraction of a percentage point difference. There's still hundreds of thousands of votes outstanding, and LA officials have given us the next three weeks to count!" he said. "Let's git-r-dun!"

Bass's campaign responded to Raman's advancement with a statement criticizing her record. "We look forward to winning a contest against an opponent who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops, yet is MIA on saving Hollywood jobs and fighting back when ICE invades LA," said Alex Stack, a Bass campaign spokesperson, referencing Raman's votes against banning encampments near schools and her opposition to hiring additional LAPD officers.

President Trump posted on Truth Social Monday, calling the election results impossible and declaring the process "rigged." Trump's criticism followed Pratt's dramatic reversal in standing since election night, when the former reality television star appeared positioned to advance to the runoff.

The race has drawn scrutiny over California's vote-counting timeline, with officials indicating that final results would not be certified for approximately three weeks from the election date.