Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman is rapidly closing the gap with former reality TV star Spencer Pratt in an intensely contested race for the second spot in the November 3 mayoral runoff — and the outcome remains far from settled.
The Current Vote Count: Where Things Stand
As of the latest ballot updates on June 5–6, 2026, Raman has narrowed Spencer Pratt’s lead to just 6 percentage points, with Pratt holding 29.4% of the vote to Raman’s 23.4%. Sitting firmly atop the field, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass holds 35% with 64% of the expected vote counted.
The Associated Press has already projected Bass will advance to the general election. The critical question now is: who joins her on the November ballot?
Raman Picks Up Thousands of Votes With Each Ballot Dump
Raman picked up 4,224 votes on Pratt since Wednesday, narrowing the gap to 6 percentage points. Election observers are watching each new ballot release closely, as the trend has been consistent — Pratt loses ground with every update.
Election data expert Paul Mitchell noted that “Spencer Pratt has been losing share of the vote with every one of these new ballot dumps,” and said the key question is: “Will he drop? Will Nithya Raman rise?”
Hundreds of Thousands of Ballots Still to Be Counted
The count is nowhere near finished. Election officials believe approximately 688,180 ballots remain to be tabulated — enough to dramatically shift the vote count.
According to Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles, while theoretically the remaining ballots could be enough for Raman to advance, experts suggest it is not the most likely outcome — though the race is far from over.
Mail-in ballots have dominated the count so far. Vote-by-mail ballots make up 71.86% of all ballots counted, while overall voter turnout stands at just 23.69% of registered voters — meaning large volumes of late-arriving mail ballots still await processing.
Who Is Nithya Raman?
Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman entered the mayoral race as a last-minute challenger against incumbent Karen Bass, filing just hours before the deadline. Raman is a progressive representing the city’s 4th District and describes herself as a Democrat and a fighter for Los Angeles.
At her campaign launch, Raman made her case in passionate terms: “I love this city so much and I think it needs a fighter. And I think I’ve demonstrated that I can be that fighter.”
Raman was previously endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles chapter during her 2020 campaign, but the group voted to censure her in 2024 over her acceptance of an endorsement from Democrats for Israel–Los Angeles and disagreements related to the war in Gaza.
On election night, with results not going her way, Raman pointed to what she called larger forces at work. She blamed a “MAGA machine” for advancing a “dark agenda” against her campaign’s vision, telling supporters: “We believe that Angelenos were hungry for that vision, and we were right.”
Raman has also said the stakes are personal. She stated this will be her last political campaign if she does not win the mayoral election.
Who Is Spencer Pratt?
Starring on the MTV hit series “The Hills” in the early 2000s, Pratt became well known as a reality TV agitator — a persona that has carried over into his mayoral bid as he positions himself as Bass’ chief antagonist.
A political newcomer, Pratt made waves on social media in the months after the devastating Palisades Fire in January 2025. The charred remains of his property were often the centerpiece of his Instagram posts as he became one of the loudest voices representing victims of the blaze, questioning the actions of politicians including Bass and Newsom.
While the primary is nonpartisan, Pratt is a registered Republican, Bass has served Congress as a Democrat, and Raman describes herself as a Democrat.
On election night, Pratt exuded confidence, swarmed by supporters and media at his election night event.
Why the Late Ballot Trend Matters
Mail-in and late-arriving ballots have historically skewed toward progressive candidates in California. With Raman consistently gaining in each successive ballot drop, her supporters see a realistic — if narrow — path to overtaking Pratt.
The race for second remains too close to call, with Raman gaining ground on Pratt as updated results continue to come in from the June 2 primary.
The pattern has not gone unnoticed on the other side either. Conservative commentators have raised questions about the trend of late ballots benefiting Raman, though official county numbers show Pratt still ahead for the second runoff slot and nothing in the data confirms he has lost it.
Key Issues Driving the Race
Voters had 14 candidates to choose from, and many have focused on a variety of issues impacting L.A., including recovery from the devastating 2025 wildfires, homelessness, ICE operations, and public safety.
For her reelection campaign, Mayor Karen Bass is promising to make the city safer and more affordable while positioning herself as a candidate who will take on the Trump administration. Both Raman and Pratt have offered starkly contrasting visions — Pratt running as an aggressive law-and-order reformer from the right, Raman as a progressive champion of equity and accountability from the left.
What Happens Next
Under California’s top-two primary system, the top two vote-getters — regardless of party — advance to the general election. Bass is all but certain to be one of those two. The second seat will go to either Pratt or Raman, depending on how the remaining ballots break.
Los Angeles County election officials are expected to release new ballot updates over the coming days, with each drop potentially reshuffling the standings. Final certification of results will take weeks, meaning this race could remain unresolved well into late June or July 2026.
For Raman, the math requires not just maintaining her current momentum but accelerating it. For Pratt, the goal is simply to hold enough of his existing lead until the count is complete.
Do you think Nithya Raman can complete the comeback and overtake Spencer Pratt, or will Pratt hold on for the November runoff? Drop your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned as ballot counting continues!