Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Advances to November Runoff Election

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has advanced to a November runoff, with Councilmember Nithya Raman and reality TV star Spencer Pratt in a tight race for the second spot. The election is heavily influenced by the 2025 Palisades Fire and the city's homelessness crisis. Pratt, a newcomer backed by Donald Trump, is challenging Bass's record, while Raman, a progressive, criticizes the incumbent's policies on housing and homelessness.

LA mayoral primary results

• ▪A runoff is required because no candidate secured a majority of over 50% in the primary election
• ▪A May 28 UC Berkeley-LA Times poll showed Karen Bass with 26% support, Nithya Raman with 25%, and Spencer Pratt with 22%
• ▪Through May 16, Spencer Pratt reported $3.26 million in campaign contributions, surpassing Karen Bass's $3.13 million
• ▪Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has advanced to the November runoff election in her bid for reelection
• ▪With about 63% of votes counted, Karen Bass led with 35%, Spencer Pratt had 30%, and Nithya Raman had 22%

Palisades Fire political impact

• ▪Spencer Pratt, a political newcomer, lost his home in the January 2025 Palisades Fire
• ▪The hotly contested mayoral race has drawn national attention, fueled by events like the 2025 Palisades and Eaton Fires
• ▪Spencer Pratt stated his entry into politics was motivated by the city's negligence and alleged coverups in the months after the fire

Spencer Pratt residency controversy

• ▪Spencer Pratt also stated he lived in an Airstream trailer on his burnt-out Pacific Palisades property
• ▪In an April 2026 social media post, Spencer Pratt said he had been living at his father's rental home in Santa Barbara County after the fire.
• ▪The Los Angeles Times questioned Spencer Pratt's residency and eligibility to run for mayor

Bass administration record

• ▪During her term, Mayor Karen Bass faced challenges including Hollywood labor strikes, the Palisades Fire, and a $1 billion city budget shortfall
• ▪Karen Bass has received endorsements from Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris
• ▪Karen Bass's administration claims to have averted layoffs during the budgetary crisis and reduced the number of unhoused residents

Raman homelessness policy approach

• ▪In 2025, Nithya Raman introduced a successful motion to cap annual rent increases for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments built before 1978
• ▪Nithya Raman's homelessness plan includes using short-term rental subsidies, which she claims are a third of the cost of other programs
• ▪Former President Donald Trump appeared to back Spencer Pratt's campaign, stating he'd like to see the candidate "do well."

Trump backing Pratt campaign

• ▪Spencer Pratt is a registered Republican who is running for mayor as an independent
• ▪Spencer Pratt's campaign received donations from high-profile figures including Google co-founder Sergey Brin and the Winklevoss twins