Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has secured a spot in November’s general election runoff, but the battle for the second spot remains too close to call as tens of thousands of ballots continue to be tallied across Los Angeles County.
Early returns from Tuesday’s primary show former reality television star Spencer Pratt holding a narrow lead for the second position, positioning him as a potential challenger to Bass in the fall.
However, with a significant number of mail-in and provisional ballots still outstanding, the final outcome for second place has not yet been determined.
Pratt, known for his role on the MTV reality show The Hills, launched his long-shot campaign from a mobile home parked amid the rubble of his burned-out Pacific Palisades neighborhood following last year’s devastating wildfires, The Dallas Express reported previously. The unconventional launch drew attention to his focus on homelessness, public safety, and recovery from the fires that destroyed thousands of homes in the area.
Where Things Stand
Unofficial results show Bass leading with 35% of the vote, or roughly 172,720 votes as of Wednesday evening, per Fox LA. Pratt sits in second at 30%, with approximately 151,149 votes, while City Councilwoman Nithya Raman trails in third at 22%, or 110,848 votes. Tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and housing advocate Rae Chen Huang trail far behind at 4% and 3%, respectively.
With 62% of the vote counted as of Wednesday night, Pratt had pulled in 157,000 votes to Raman’s 120,000 – meaning roughly 300,000 votes still need to be counted, with tranches expected to be released slowly over the next few days, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Raman appeared to be slightly closing the gap as counting continued, consistent with a trend of Republican-leaning votes arriving earlier in the tally. She had been down 10 points Tuesday night. However, Pratt’s surge in the polls, let alone his viral support online, has been booming over the last few weeks.
Candidates Respond
Bass addressed supporters at The LINE LA Hotel on Tuesday night with confidence. “I will tell you, it’s looking good so far. We got a lot more to go, but so far it’s looking good,” she told the crowd, per KFI AM 640, adding her promise to “build a city where parents and kids do not have to navigate tents.”
Pratt was more direct. “This is the first time since 2005 that an incumbent is going to a runoff. This is not a candidate that I’m too concerned about,” he said, noting he has five months to make his case, per Fox 11 Los Angeles. He spoke to reporters outside his election-night party at Don Antonio’s restaurant in West L.A. – reporters weren’t allowed inside. On Bass, he said, “She knows it’s on. I hope she’s ready.”
Raman, addressing supporters in the Arts District, blamed a “MAGA machine” for advancing what she called a “dark agenda” against her campaign’s vision, per LAist.com. “We believe that Angelenos were hungry for that vision, and we were right,” she said. “Here’s the reality: That vision threatens some very powerful forces.”
The Money Race
Heading into primary day, Spencer Pratt had quietly become the top fundraiser in the field – a remarkable turnaround from the $540,000 single-period haul that The Dallas Express reported back in May.
By the final reporting period, Spencer Pratt had raised roughly $2.7 million and reported around $3.28 million in total contributions, according to LA Mag. His surge included 8,490 contributions, with 328 donors giving the maximum $1,800 allowed under city rules.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass had raised $2.8 million in total since entering the race, reported Los Angeles Magazine.
A Historic Moment
Bass would be the first L.A. mayoral incumbent to need a runoff since 2005, when James Hahn finished second in the primary and was forced into a runoff against Antonio Villaraigosa, who defeated him.
For readers unfamiliar with how Los Angeles runs its elections, the city uses California’s nonpartisan “Top Two” system. No candidate cleared the 50% threshold needed to win outright Tuesday, so the top two finishers – Bass and whoever emerges from the Pratt-Raman battle – will face off in a general municipal election on November 3.
Controversy Over Ballot Counting
With only about 62% of ballots reported more than 36 hours after polls closed, questions have emerged about the pace of mail-in and provisional ballot processing.
Some observers have raised concerns that late-counted ballots appear to be narrowing Spencer Pratt’s lead over Nithya Raman. Los Angeles County election officials have stated that the slow count is due to the high volume of mail-in ballots and standard verification procedures. No formal investigations have been announced by county or state officials as of Thursday afternoon.
Ballots will continue to be counted in the days ahead, and a final determination on the second runoff spot could take until next week.
