Progressive council member Nithya Raman will face incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral runoff, eliminating reality TV star Spencer Pratt. Raman overcame an election-night deficit, surging past Pratt as late mail-in ballots were counted. The November election now pits two Democrats and former allies against each other, with key issues including homelessness and Bass's leadership following the deadly 2025 wildfires. Bass's campaign has already attacked Raman's positions on policing.
LA mayoral runoff projection
- ▪Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November mayoral runoff election
- ▪The runoff was triggered because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the June 2 primary
- ▪Nithya Raman had previously endorsed Karen Bass for re-election before making a last-minute entry into the race
Raman comeback in vote count
- ▪Spencer Pratt initially held a lead over Nithya Raman for second place on election night after the June 2 primary
- ▪Nithya Raman overtook Spencer Pratt as late-arriving mail-in ballots, which tend to favor Democrats, were counted
- ▪With most votes counted, Karen Bass led with 34.3%, followed by Nithya Raman with 28.6% and Spencer Pratt with 25.8%
Homelessness policy positions
- ▪Nithya Raman has previously opposed ordinances banning homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycare centers
- ▪Nithya Raman has criticized the "Inside Safe" program for a lack of results and has proposed reforms for better oversight
- ▪Mayor Karen Bass's signature "Inside Safe" program clears homeless encampments and moves people into interim housing like motel rooms
Campaign attacks between candidates
- ▪Nithya Raman's campaign portrayed Spencer Pratt as a "MAGA Republican" and far-right extremist
- ▪Karen Bass's campaign attacked Nithya Raman for allegedly allowing encampments near schools and cutting the police force
- ▪The police union has run ads criticizing Nithya Raman, calling her "Flip Floppin' Raman."
- ▪Nithya Raman has shifted her position on policing, once using the phrase "defund the police" but now supporting the LAPD's current size
Bass leadership record
- ▪Karen Bass became the first woman to serve as Los Angeles mayor after defeating developer Rick Caruso in 2022
- ▪The 2025 wildfires were described as deadly, destroying over 16,000 structures and killing 12 people
- ▪A March 2026 Los Angeles Times poll found that 56% of city respondents held an unfavorable view of Mayor Karen Bass
- ▪Mayor Bass faced criticism for being on a diplomatic trip to Ghana when the destructive 2025 Palisades Fire began
Pratt fire survivor campaign
- ▪A registered Republican, Spencer Pratt received praise from former President Donald Trump during his campaign
- ▪Spencer Pratt, a political novice, ran for mayor after his home was destroyed in the 2025 Palisades Fire
- ▪Pratt's campaign focused on criticizing Mayor Bass's response to the 2025 wildfires and the city's homelessness crisis
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