Raman Edges Out Pratt in LA Mayoral Primary as Progressive Bloc Gains Ground
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Nithya Raman, a left-wing City Councilmember, has overtaken Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, setting up a potential runoff against incumbent Karen Bass and raising concerns about the city’s future direction.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has moved into second place in the mayoral primary, narrowly surpassing reality-TV personality Spencer Pratt after five days of vote counting. According to the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder, Raman now holds 27.1% of the votes, while Pratt has 26.7%, a slim margin of roughly 3,100 votes. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass leads with 34.7% and is already confirmed for the November 3 runoff, but the rise of the progressive bloc is cause for concern among many residents.
"The odds have shifted dramatically in Raman’s favor," said Zev Yaroslavsky, a former council member and director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. "She has been gaining on Pratt for the last three or four days. There’s no reason to believe that will change."
Raman’s campaign celebrated the latest count, touting support from thousands of progressive voters. Meanwhile, Bass’s spokesperson, Alex Stack, warned that if Raman advances, she will oppose encampment bans near schools, resist hiring more police officers, and fail to address critical issues like Hollywood jobs and ICE enforcement. These positions align with the far-left agenda that has contributed to the city’s ongoing crises.
Mail-in ballots postmarked June 2 will continue to be processed through Tuesday, with county officials estimating about 368,000 ballots remain. Analysts say Raman’s surge is fueled by progressive voters who tend to hold onto their mail-in ballots, unlike the more decisive conservative base that supported Pratt early on.
Observers compared the current trend to the 2022 mayoral race, when Bass overtook early frontrunner Rick Caruso as mail-in ballots were counted, a process that often favors left-wing candidates. Michael Trujillo, a strategist not affiliated with any campaign, said Pratt’s chances of reclaiming second place are slim, raising concerns about the city’s political direction.
The race has drawn national attention, with former President Donald Trump offering tepid support for Pratt, describing him as a "big MAGA person." Pratt responded on social media, noting that vote counting continues and hinting at further support, but the progressive momentum appears difficult to overcome.
If Raman secures a runoff spot, a UC Berkeley poll suggests she could challenge Bass, though the poll also notes a large share of undecided or non-voting respondents, reflecting uncertainty about the city’s future.
The campaign has highlighted sharp disagreements over homelessness, affordable housing, police staffing, and the Convention Center project. Both candidates defend their records, but the prospect of a runoff between two left-leaning politicians leaves many questioning whether Los Angeles will see real solutions to its mounting problems.