spencer pratt

The Narrow Margin Between Raman and Pratt

For much of the primary counting period, it appeared the second runoff spot would belong to Spencer Pratt. The former “The Hills” star maintained a significant lead over Raman during the early stages of the tally, holding a 40,000-vote advantage as recently as Wednesday. However, as more ballots were processed, the momentum shifted. As NBC Los Angeles reported, the late-arriving ballots fundamentally altered the leaderboard. By Sunday afternoon, Raman had clawed her way into a narrow lead. While different updates show slight variations in the exact math, the trend is undeniable: the progressive councilwoman has moved from third place to the cusp of a runoff. The scale of the ongoing count remains massive. The Registrar has processed 1,897,653 ballots so far, representing roughly 32.21% of registered voters in Los Angeles County. Crucially, more than 368,000 ballots remain outstanding. This massive volume of uncounted vote-by-mail and provisional ballots means the final margin is still subject to change.

• Karen Bass: Leading the race with approximately 34% of the vote.
• Nithya Raman: Currently holding second place following a surge in progressive votes.
• Spencer Pratt: Trailing in third, though still within a fraction of a percentage point.

Pratt, a registered Republican, has not conceded. In a Monday post on Instagram, he addressed the shifting numbers and the timeline for the final certification.

“Folks, we’re dealing with a fraction of a percentage point different, there’s still hundreds of thousands of vote outstanding, and LA officials have given us the next 3 week to count! Let’s git-r-dun!”

Spencer Pratt, via Instagram

Controversy and Claims of Election Fraud

The dramatic shift in the rankings has not occurred without political friction. The sudden rise of Raman, a Kerala-born progressive who previously endorsed incumbent Karen Bass, has drawn scrutiny from national figures. According to Times of India, the performance of Raman has revived claims of election fraud from Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Trump has characterized the California election process as “crooked,” suggesting Republican candidates are being cheated. Musk also used his platform to question the results, specifically noting that Raman was not initially positioned to overtake Pratt. In response to these tensions, the Department of Justice dispatched an Assistant U.S. Attorney to observe the vote counting in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued reassurances regarding the integrity of the election process.

The Political Strategy for the November Runoff

With the second spot in the November 2026 runoff nearly finalized, the focus turns to how incumbent Mayor Karen Bass will approach her general election opponent. While the exact matchup is not yet official, ABC News notes that Bass has already clinched her spot at the top of the ticket. The Bass campaign has already begun framing the contest. Rather than waiting for the final certification, the incumbent’s team has signaled they are prepared to fight a progressive challenger.

“We look forward to winning a contest against an opponent who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops, yet is MIA on saving Hollywood jobs and fighting back when ICE invades

Alex Stack, Bass campaign spokesperson This aggressive posture suggests that Bass’s team plans to lean into traditional political divides. Political communication professor Dan Schnur suggests the campaign will likely mirror the strategy used in the 2022 election.

“Bass and her advisors believe that they know how to run against Pratt. They’ll run the same campaign playbook against a conservative that they did against Rick Caruso four years ago.”

Dan Schnur, via NBC Los Angeles However, if Raman officially secures the runoff spot, the playbook may need to shift. Unlike the centrist, billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, Raman represents a progressive wing of the city’s politics. As a Councilmember who made history in 2020 as the first South Asian woman to serve on the Los Angeles City Council, Raman’s ability to mobilize urban planning interests and progressive voters could force Bass into a much more ideological battle than the one seen in the previous cycle. As the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk continues to process the remaining hundreds of thousands of ballots, the city remains in a state of electoral suspense. The final results, which must be certified within 30 days of the June 2 primary, will determine whether Los Angeles heads into November with a battle of ideological extremes or a contest between established leadership and a reality-TV outsider.