- Karen Bass leads with 34.7 per cent of votes and has already advanced to November runoff
- Nithya Raman rises to second place with 27.1 per cent, overtaking Spencer Pratt
- Spencer Pratt slips to third with 26.69 per cent after early second-place position
- Around 80% of ballots have been counted in the ongoing tally process
- Top two finishers advance to November runoff in nonpartisan mayoral race
Indian-origin Nithya Raman has strengthened her position in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, moving into second place as vote counting continues and reshapes the contest for the city’s top office.
The latest update from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office shows Raman securing 27.1 per cent of the vote, placing her firmly in the second spot behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, who leads the race with 34.7 per cent and has already qualified for the November runoff.
Raman’s steady rise through the count has been driven by late-arriving mail-in and provisional ballots, which have gradually shifted the standings since election night. Her current position marks a notable turnaround in a closely watched race where margins remain tight.
At one stage in the early count, reality television personality Spencer Pratt held second place. However, as additional ballots were processed, Raman overtook him, pushing Pratt into third with 26.69 per cent of the vote. The margin between the two remains narrow, but Raman now holds the advantage as counting continues.
Around 80 per cent of ballots have been tallied so far, and officials have indicated that remaining votes could still lead to minor adjustments in the standings. Even so, the top two candidates will advance to the November runoff regardless of party affiliation, making Raman’s current position strategically significant.
First elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020 after unseating incumbent David Ryu in a major upset, Raman has since consolidated her political standing and secured re-election in 2024. Her campaign profile has been shaped by her background in urban planning and policy, including studies at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Born in India and raised partly in the United States after moving at a young age, Raman has built a political career focused on housing, homelessness, and urban development issues in Los Angeles.
With Bass maintaining a clear lead and Raman firmly holding second place, attention now turns to the final phase of counting that will confirm the two candidates heading into November’s mayoral runoff.
