LA Mayor Race: Nithya Raman Overtakes Spencer Pratt for Runoff Spot
The race for the second spot in Los Angeles' November mayoral runoff has officially flipped. As of the latest vote count released early Monday, Nithya Raman — LA City Councilwoman and progressive Democrat — has overtaken former reality TV star Spencer Pratt for second place in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral primary.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass continues to lead comfortably with approximately 35% of the vote and has been projected by ABC News to advance to the November runoff. The question now is who joins her — and after days of counting, it appears the answer is Raman.
This developing story is part of our Politics & World News coverage at TheTrendsWire.
The Latest Numbers
The most recent figures from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk show:
- Karen Bass (incumbent): ~35% — projected to advance to November runoff ✅
- Nithya Raman: ~24-25% — has overtaken Pratt in latest count
- Spencer Pratt: ~28-29% — lead shrinking rapidly
Raman had been trailing Pratt by over 40,000 votes on election night — but the gap has closed dramatically with each subsequent ballot release. Mail-in and provisional ballots, which tend to skew more progressive in Los Angeles, have heavily favored Raman in recent counting rounds.
As of the Monday morning update, Raman has effectively closed the gap and moved into second place. The race is not yet officially called, as thousands of ballots remain to be counted.
Who Are the Candidates?
Karen Bass — the two-term incumbent Democrat — has faced significant criticism over her handling of the 2025 Palisades wildfires, which devastated large sections of West Los Angeles and destroyed thousands of homes. Her response to the disaster — including being out of the country in Ghana when the fires broke out — drew widespread condemnation and fuelled this year's competitive primary field.
Spencer Pratt — best known as a villain on the early 2000s reality show "The Hills" — emerged as a genuine political force after his own home burned in the Palisades Fire. Running as a Republican with a populist anti-establishment message, Pratt led the primary field in second place on election night. His campaign was built around wildfire recovery, homelessness, and a sharp anti-Bass message.
Nithya Raman — a progressive LA City Councilwoman backed by Democratic Socialists of America — challenged Bass from the left, focusing on affordable housing, tenant protections, and community-based approaches to homelessness. She had been the establishment progressive alternative to Bass, and her late surge in vote counting reflects the expected pattern of mail-in ballots in progressive-leaning LA.
The California Governor's Race
The other closely watched California race also has a new development: Xavier Becerra has advanced to the general election in the California governor's race. His runoff opponent is not yet determined — with Steve Hilton (Republican, former Fox News host, Trump-backed) and Tom Steyer (Democrat, billionaire climate activist who spent $215 million of his own money) in a close battle for the second spot.
Key Takeaways
- Nithya Raman has overtaken Spencer Pratt for second place in the 2026 LA Mayor primary as mail-in ballots continue to be counted.
- Karen Bass leads the field at approximately 35% and is projected to advance to the November runoff.
- Pratt led by over 40,000 votes on election night — that lead has been erased by progressive-leaning mail-in ballots.
- The race is not yet officially called — thousands of ballots remain to be counted.
- If Raman holds, the November runoff will be Karen Bass vs Nithya Raman — an intra-Democratic runoff.
- In the California governor's race, Xavier Becerra has advanced — his runoff opponent between Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer is still being determined.
