Karen Bass And Nithya Raman Head To Los Angeles Mayor Runoff After Pratt Eliminated
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman will face off in a November 3, 2026 runoff after updated Los Angeles County counts showed Raman overtake Spencer Pratt on Monday, June 8, 2026.[1]
With roughly 93% of ballots counted, Bass held about 34.3% of the vote, Raman about 28.5% and Pratt about 25.8%, reflecting Raman's late gains and Pratt's slide.[2] Raman's campaign surged in one late Los Angeles County update that added more than 33,000 votes to her total and expanded her margin as remaining mail ballots were processed.[2]
In January 2025, the Palisades and Eaton wildfires became a central issue for voters after they killed dozens and destroyed thousands of structures, shaping debate over Bass's response and city emergency planning.[3] Spencer Pratt, whose home burned, ran as a right-leaning insurgent and drew scrutiny for residency questions and campaign ads some analysts described as "MAGA-style," including material generated with artificial intelligence.[3] Nithya Raman filed late to run after previously endorsing Bass and ran as a progressive alternative focused on housing, homelessness and city services.[4]
Early election-night returns had shown Pratt holding second place, but a steady flow of late-counted mail ballots shifted the picture until major outlets treated Raman's lead as insurmountable and called the second runoff slot for her, eliminating Pratt and setting a Bass-Raman matchup in November.[5][1] Los Angeles County will complete its 30-day canvass and statewide certification is due by July 10, 2026.[6]
The mainstream summary does not mention the significant context of housing affordability and homelessness that underpins the electoral dynamics in Los Angeles. For instance, the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count reported approximately 43,699 people experiencing homelessness in the city, a pressing issue that heavily influences voter sentiment and candidate platforms. Additionally, the average rent in Los Angeles stands at $2,650 per month, highlighting the affordability crisis that candidates like Nithya Raman are addressing in their campaigns. This critical aspect of urban life is largely absent from the mainstream coverage, which focuses primarily on the electoral mechanics and candidate positioning without delving into the broader socio-economic factors at play.
Furthermore, while the mainstream summary frames the runoff as a straightforward contest between two Democrats, it overlooks the deeper implications of their political backgrounds and the progressive shift within the local Democratic Party. The rise of progressive challengers, influenced by factors such as the housing crisis and dissatisfaction with traditional liberal policies, suggests a significant shift in voter priorities that could reshape the future of Los Angeles governance. Such nuances are essential for understanding the stakes of the upcoming runoff, yet they remain largely unaddressed in the initial reporting.
Show source details & analysis (15 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
The 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count found approximately 43,699 people experiencing homelessness in the city of Los Angeles.
2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Data — Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
The average rent for all property types in Los Angeles is $2,650 per month.
📌 Key Facts
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman will face off in a November 3, 2026 runoff after updated counts showed Raman overtake Spencer Pratt; Karen Bass was projected to advance on Monday, June 8, 2026.
- With roughly 93% of ballots counted as of Monday, June 8, 2026, Bass held about 34.3% of the vote, Nithya Raman about 28.5%, and Spencer Pratt about 25.8%, reflecting Raman’s late gains and Pratt’s slide.
- Updated tallies and late-counted Los Angeles County ballots shifted second place away from Spencer Pratt to Nithya Raman; The New York Times and the Associated Press treated Raman’s lead on Monday, June 8, 2026, as sufficient to end Pratt’s bid.
- The outcome follows California’s top-two system, under which only the two highest vote-getters in the primary advance to the November general election.
- The mayoral contest drew national attention in part because of the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton wildfires and subsequent immigration-enforcement raids and protests—issues that have shaped campaign rhetoric and scrutiny of city leadership (Palisades and Eaton fires).
- Incumbent Bass defended her record on the campaign trail, citing an 18% drop in Los Angeles homelessness during her term, averting layoffs in a $1 billion budget shortfall, and saying this would be her last campaign for public office (Karen Bass).
- Spencer Pratt’s candidacy was dogged by residency questions after he said he lived in an Airstream on burned property and later at his father’s rental in Santa Barbara County, and his campaign ran political ads—some generated with artificial intelligence—described as following a “MAGA strategy” (Spencer Pratt).
- Los Angeles County continued counting ballots postmarked on or before June 2, 2026 and received by Tuesday, June 9, and election officials must complete the 30‑day canvass with statewide certification due by July 10, 2026 (certified by July 10).
- Pre‑election polling showed a tight three-way race: a May 28, 2026 UC Berkeley–LA Times poll had Bass 26%, Raman 25% and Pratt 22% (±~3 points), while UCLA Luskin polling earlier showed about 40% of likely voters undecided before that share fell to about 10% in late May.
📰 Source Timeline (15)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
June 09, 2026
4:53 PM
Progressive Nithya Raman advances to November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
New information:
- On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the Associated Press reported that Nithya Raman has advanced to a November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, confirming Spencer Pratt is out of the running.
- The article notes Raman made a last-minute entry into the race after previously endorsing Bass for reelection and was elected to the council with support from the Democratic Socialists of America.
- Bass received under 35% of the vote in incomplete returns, a relatively weak showing for an incumbent, while Pratt’s nationally watched bid fell short despite extensive media attention.
- Bass is backed by major Democratic figures including Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as well as influential labor unions.
- The article highlights that Bass is the first Black woman to serve as Los Angeles mayor and that Raman could become the city’s first South Asian woman mayor if she wins in November.
12:13 AM
LA mayoral race heads to November runoff as Karen Bass faces Mamdani-style socialist
New information:
- Fox article explicitly states that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman advanced to a November 3, 2026 runoff, framing it as the general election matchup.
- The piece characterizes the race as pitting Bass’s record against Raman’s more explicitly progressive, Democratic Socialists of America-aligned platform, including positions on housing, homelessness, public safety, climate goals and resistance to federal immigration enforcement.
- Article notes that Raman has been described as a “Mamdani-style socialist,” drawing a comparison to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and includes new on-the-record campaign rhetoric contrasting Bass and right-leaning independent Spencer Pratt.
12:07 AM
Raman defeats Pratt to face Bass in LA mayoral election, CBS News projects
New information:
- On Monday, June 8, 2026, CBS News explicitly projected that Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November mayoral election under California's top-two system.
- With about 93% of ballots counted as of June 8, Bass had 34.3% of the vote and Raman 28.5%, while Spencer Pratt had fallen to 25.8% after previously leading Raman by roughly 6 percentage points on election night.
- CBS details that Raman’s late surge included a single Los Angeles County update in which she gained more than 33,000 votes, expanding her margin over Pratt as late-counted ballots were processed.
- The article adds a new Bass campaign statement, released after Raman overtook Pratt on Sunday, accusing Raman of allowing encampments near schools, opposing hiring more police and being absent on Hollywood job losses and ICE-related issues.
- Raman’s campaign issued a statement early Monday, June 8, saying it was encouraged by the latest count and thanking Angelenos for their support.
- The piece recaps specific pre-election polling: a May 28 UC Berkeley–LA Times poll showing Bass at 26%, Raman at 25% and Pratt at 22% with a 3-point margin of error, and earlier UCLA Luskin polling indicating roughly 40% of likely voters were undecided before that share dropped to about 10%.
12:01 AM
Nithya Raman Secures Second LA Mayor Spot, Ending Spencer Pratt’s Run
New information:
- On Monday, June 8, 2026, updated Los Angeles County results showed Councilmember Nithya Raman has definitively secured the second spot in the November mayoral runoff against incumbent Karen Bass.
- The New York Times formally called the race for Raman over Spencer Pratt, ending Pratt’s bid after days of ballot counting following the June 2 primary.
- The article reports that remaining uncounted ballots are insufficient for Pratt to overtake Raman’s lead, allowing election analysts to treat her placement as final.
June 08, 2026
11:57 PM
Raman to advance in Los Angeles mayor’s race, taking on Bass in November
New information:
- On Monday, June 8, 2026, the Associated Press projected that Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman will advance to the November general election to face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
- The article reports that as of Monday’s update roughly 93% of votes had been counted and Raman led Spencer Pratt by more than 20,000 votes, described as a safe cushion for a top-two finish.
- The piece adds Raman’s on-record reaction: in a statement provided earlier Monday she said, "We are encouraged by the latest vote count and remain grateful to the thousands of Angelenos who have powered this campaign."
- The article notes that Pratt’s early 9‑point lead over Raman on Tuesday, June 2, had narrowed until she overtook him by less than 1 point on Sunday, June 7, before expanding her margin on Monday.
- It documents that Trump and other MAGA allies have alleged, without evidence, that Raman’s late surge in mail ballots is proof of "fraud" in the race.
1:29 PM
Raman outpaces Pratt in L.A. mayoral race; Calif. governor's matchup takes shape
New information:
- As of Sunday night, June 7, 2026, with 83% of ballots counted, Karen Bass held just under 35% of the vote, Nithya Raman 27.1%, and Spencer Pratt 26.7%.
- CBS News reports that Bass was projected last week to advance to the runoff, but the second spot between Raman and Pratt remains too close to call.
- Bass's campaign issued a new statement explicitly attacking Raman's record on encampments near schools, police hiring, Hollywood jobs, and ICE actions in Los Angeles.
- Raman is now described by CBS as having previously trailed Pratt by about six percentage points before overtaking him by less than one point in updated returns.
- The article reiterates California’s 30‑day canvass rules and seven‑day mail‑ballot receipt window, underscoring that slow county reporting is driving the prolonged uncertainty.
1:46 AM
Raman overtakes Spencer Pratt in razor-thin race, AP count shows, but race remains uncalled
New information:
- As of Sunday, June 7, 2026, the Associated Press count shows Nithya Raman leading Spencer Pratt by more than 3,000 votes, about 0.4 percentage points, but AP has not called the race.
- Fox News specifies that the race remains officially uncalled for the second runoff slot even though incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has already advanced.
- The Republican National Committee has created an online tracker criticizing California's slow count and is publicly highlighting ongoing ballot processing past June 2.
- County officials must finish official Los Angeles County results by July 2, 2026, with statewide certification by July 10, consistent with California’s mail-ballot deadlines.
- Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy publicly blames Gov. Gavin Newsom’s election-law changes for California’s extended post–Election Day counting, citing his comments on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures'.
12:37 AM
Nithya Raman Overtakes Spencer Pratt in Race for L.A. Mayor
New information:
- On Sunday, June 7, 2026, updated Los Angeles County returns showed Nithya Raman overtook Spencer Pratt for second place in the mayoral primary.
- The new tally reported by the New York Times indicates Raman now leads Pratt by a narrow margin, reversing his prior edge with 78% of ballots counted.
- The article emphasizes that while Karen Bass remains assured of the top runoff spot, the second runoff slot is now more likely to feature Raman rather than Pratt if current trends hold.
June 07, 2026
3:49 PM
Spencer Pratt's runner-up edge over Democrat Raman down to 1%, few thousand ballots
New information:
- As of Saturday, June 6, 2026, with 78% of ballots counted, Karen Bass had 235,180 votes (34.8%), Spencer Pratt 184,596 (27.3%), and Nithya Raman 177,102 (26.2%), leaving Pratt 7,494 votes ahead of Raman.
- The latest ballot update saw Raman gain 23,514 votes compared with Pratt’s 10,336, cutting Pratt’s lead by 13,178 votes in a single day.
- Los Angeles County will continue counting ballots postmarked on or before June 2, 2026, and received by Tuesday, June 9; results must be finalized within 30 days and certified by July 10.
- The Republican National Committee launched a public tracker criticizing California’s slow count, writing that "the state’s election system is a complete joke" and that it is monitoring the time to finish counting.
- Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy publicly blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s election-law changes for California’s lengthened vote-counting timeline in a June 7, 2026 Fox News appearance.
- Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo told The California Post the late-count trend favored Raman and described the extended counting as "normal" for California.
12:18 AM
Pratt's lead over Raman further erodes in new L.A. mayoral race results
New information:
- By Saturday evening, June 6, 2026, with 78% of ballots counted, Spencer Pratt led Nithya Raman 27.3% to 26.2% in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, a margin of roughly one percentage point.
- CBS reports that Pratt’s lead over Raman has continued to diminish with each new batch of L.A. County results since election night.
- Analyst Paul Mitchell reiterated Thursday that Pratt is 'losing share of the vote with every one of these new ballot dumps' and raised the question of whether there will be an inflection point at which Raman overtakes him for second place.
June 05, 2026
3:18 PM
Spencer Pratt, Steve Hilton lose ground to Democrats in latest California ballot batch drop
New information:
- In the June 4, 2026 Los Angeles County update, Spencer Pratt’s total rose to 163,549 votes while Nithya Raman’s reached 130,473, leaving Pratt with an approximately 6-point lead for the second runoff slot behind Karen Bass.
- The new batch added a little under 6,000 votes for Pratt, compared with more than 10,000 for Raman, indicating that Raman is gaining on Pratt in late-counted ballots.
- The article confirms that as of the June 4 count, Karen Bass has already secured enough votes to advance to the November 2026 general election for mayor.
- The story highlights that, despite Pratt’s current edge over Raman, he remains “far behind” Bass in overall vote share for the June 2, 2026 primary.
June 04, 2026
6:22 PM
California governor, Los Angeles mayoral primary election vote counting continues
New information:
- CBS News reiterates its projection from Tuesday night, June 2, 2026, that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will advance to the November mayoral runoff as she seeks reelection.
- The article highlights that the second runoff slot remains undetermined, noting that Spencer Pratt showed initial strength compared with Nithya Raman but that his progress slowed in Los Angeles County ballot drops on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
- It underscores how unusually close the race is for an incumbent mayor, quoting strategist Luis Alvarado saying he had not seen a race this close in decades and that all three main candidates were essentially tied within the margin of error in pre-election polling.
- The piece provides fresh timing detail on when major California counties, including Los Angeles County, planned to release additional vote-count updates on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
June 03, 2026
8:53 PM
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advances to November runoff as she seeks second term
New information:
- The June 2, 2026 Los Angeles mayoral primary advanced Mayor Karen Bass to a November 2026 runoff, with the Associated Press not yet calling which rival will join her as of June 3, 2026.
- Early returns show Republican and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt running second, ahead of progressive city councilmember Nithya Raman, but the AP notes California's history of late-arriving ballots that can shift outcomes.
- Bass used her June 2-3 election night remarks to acknowledge a "tough first term" marked by the city's most destructive wildfire and ongoing homelessness struggles, while touting reductions in homelessness and a historically low homicide rate.
- Pratt told reporters on election night that he was "not too concerned" about Bass as an opponent, blamed her for letting fires get out of control, and criticized city conditions including potholes, sidewalks, and street lighting.
- The article confirms there were 14 candidates on the mayoral ballot, including tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and community activist Rae Huang, with observers long expecting the race to go to a November runoff.
5:38 AM
Mayor Karen Bass will advance to the November election, CBS News projects
New information:
- On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, CBS News projected that incumbent Mayor Karen Bass will advance to the November mayoral election while Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt compete for the second runoff slot.
- The article reiterates California's top-two system, under which only the top two primary vote-getters advance to the November ballot.
- A May 28, 2026 UC Berkeley-LA Times poll found Bass at 26%, Raman at 25% and Pratt at 22%, with a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
- UCLA Luskin polling in the two months before the primary showed about 40% of likely voters were undecided, a share that fell to 10% in the late May UC Berkeley-LA Times survey.
- The race has drawn national attention in part because of the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires and subsequent immigration-enforcement raids and protests.
- The article details questions about Spencer Pratt's residency after he said he lived in an Airstream trailer on his burned property and later at his father's rental home in Santa Barbara County following the January 2025 fire.
- Pratt's campaign has used political ads, including some generated with artificial intelligence, described as following a "MAGA strategy" to target Bass and Raman.
- Bass told CBS LA this will be her last campaign for public office, saying that after serving in the Assembly, Congress and as mayor, "this is it."
- Bass cited statistics that during her term Los Angeles homelessness fell by 18% while national homelessness rose 18%, and said the city averted layoffs during a $1 billion budget shortfall.
- Bass acknowledged voter dissatisfaction with elected officials generally and said her task is to convince skeptical voters to support her.