Los Angeles Mayoral Race Update
Reality television personality Spencer Pratt has been eliminated from the Los Angeles mayoral race, as progressive city council member Nithya Raman advances to face incumbent Karen Bass in the November election, according to projections by US media outlets.
Raman's advancement was confirmed nearly a week after the June 2 election in California. While Bass quickly secured enough votes to move forward, the count continued to determine her opponent for the leadership of the nation’s second most populous city.
The victor of the November election will assume leadership of Los Angeles amid ongoing challenges related to homelessness and housing affordability.
Initially, Pratt held an early lead over Raman, but as vote counting progressed over several days, Raman overtook him. The latest results show Raman with 28.5% of the vote, while Pratt holds 25.8%.
California’s vote counting process, including in Los Angeles, can extend over weeks due to the state’s large population of 23 million registered voters. Approximately 80% of votes are cast by mail, requiring thorough sorting, validation, and counting.
The second candidate advancing in the California governor’s race has not yet been determined following the June 2 primary. Former Biden health secretary Xavier Becerra has secured a place in the November election, but it remains uncertain whether he will face Republican British-American former TV host Steve Hilton or Democrat billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer.
Delays in vote counting have prompted complaints from former US President Donald Trump, who has made unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. He posted multiple times on social media regarding California races and stated on Monday that it was "not possible" for Pratt to lose the mayoral contest given his initial "big lead."
Pratt, best known for his role on MTV’s The Hills, maintained confidence in his potential victory, writing earlier on Monday:
"there's still hundreds of thousands of votes outstanding, and LA officials have given us the next 3 weeks to count! Let's git-r-dun!"
In Los Angeles, a mayoral candidate who receives 50% or more of the vote wins outright. Since no candidate achieved this threshold, the top two candidates will advance to the general election in the fall.
If Bass wins the upcoming vote, she will serve a second and final term as mayor.
Karen Bass’s Political Career and Mayoral Term
The 72-year-old Bass has had an extensive career in politics and community organizing within Los Angeles, having served six terms in the US Congress representing parts of the city.
Bass chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and was a key member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. She was also reportedly considered as a potential running mate for then-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in 2020.
Prior to her congressional service, Bass was a member of the California State Assembly, where she became the first Black woman to serve as a House speaker in any state legislature.
Her current mayoral term has been characterized by her responses to the city’s homelessness crisis, federal immigration raids, and a destructive wildfire that swept through an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood in January 2025.
Bass has faced widespread criticism following the Palisades Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and resulted in 12 fatalities. The fire became one of California’s most destructive on record, and the city’s response has been heavily scrutinized.
Nithya Raman’s Mayoral Campaign
Raman, an urban planner, entered the mayoral race unexpectedly just before the filing deadline, shortly after endorsing Bass.
The 44-year-old progressive has served on the Los Angeles City Council since 2020 but did not receive endorsements from any of her city council colleagues for the mayoral race.
She has been compared to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a fellow member of the Democratic Socialists of America organization.
Raman’s campaign platform emphasizes expanding affordable housing, reducing homelessness, and revitalizing jobs in Hollywood. She has criticized Bass for insufficient action on the city’s homelessness problem.
Spencer Pratt’s Candidacy and Background
Pratt, a registered Republican, launched a longshot mayoral campaign in January despite being a political outsider with no prior public office experience.
The 42-year-old became a vocal critic of Bass following the Palisades Fire, which destroyed his home.
Pratt first rose to fame in 2007 as a cast member of MTV’s The Hills, a spin-off of the reality show Laguna Beach, where he appeared as the boyfriend of Heidi Montag.
