Los Angeles Mayoral Race Heads to Runoff: Bass vs. Raman

Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has secured enough votes to advance to the November 3 general election runoff. The second-place finisher, who will face Bass in the runoff, is City Councilmember Nithya Raman.

Raman overtook former reality television personality Spencer Pratt as mail-in ballots were counted following the June 2 primary election.

Primary Results

According to final tallies, with nearly all votes counted:

As no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers—Bass and Raman—will compete in a runoff on November 3.

Vote Counting Process

On election night, Pratt held second place. However, the lead shifted to Raman as mail-in ballots were processed in the days following the election. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder reported that ballots postmarked by June 2 would be accepted for up to seven days.

Political analysts noted that late-arriving mail-in ballots in California have historically favored Democratic candidates. The shift in standings was compared to the 2022 primary, where Bass overtook Rick Caruso after trailing on election night.

The Candidates

Karen Bass (Incumbent)

Bass has served as Los Angeles mayor since 2022. Previously, she served as a U.S. Representative and as Speaker of the California State Assembly. Her campaign has highlighted a 17.5% reduction in street homelessness, a decrease in homicides, and accelerated affordable housing approvals during her tenure.

Bass has been endorsed by prominent California Democrats, including Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Nithya Raman

Raman is a Los Angeles City Councilmember representing District 4, first elected in 2020. She holds a master's degree in urban planning from MIT and was the first councilmember elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America. Raman entered the mayoral race in February 2025, 115 days before the primary, after initially endorsing Bass for reelection.

She has advocated for rent control, tenant protections, and an alternative approach to homelessness that involves short-term rental subsidies rather than encampment bans. Raman's campaign utilized the city's matching funds program, securing $1.25 million in taxpayer funds.

Spencer Pratt

Pratt, a registered Republican and former cast member of MTV's "The Hills," entered the race in January 2025. His candidacy was prompted by the loss of his home in the Palisades Fire. His campaign focused on criticism of Bass's fire response, homelessness, and public safety.

He proposed increasing LAPD staffing to 12,500 officers and advocating for mandatory treatment for homeless individuals with drug addictions. Pratt gained attention through social media, including AI-generated campaign videos, and received endorsements from Joe Rogan, Paris Hilton, and former President Donald Trump.

Key Issues

Homelessness

Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness in her first term, which she said expedited housing construction. Her administration reported a 17.5% reduction in street homelessness within city limits.

Raman proposed clearing half of homeless encampments before the 2028 Olympics and criticized the cost of the city's motel-based shelter program.

Pratt argued that official homeless counts were understated and proposed eliminating street encampments and constructing mandatory rehabilitation facilities on federal land.

Palisades Fire Response

The January 2025 Palisades Fire killed at least 31 people and destroyed over 16,000 homes and businesses, including Pratt's residence.

Bass faced criticism for being out of the country during the fire, which she called a "mistake." She later dismissed Fire Chief Jaime Crowley, who subsequently sued the city for retaliation. Pratt blamed Bass for insufficient water resources and maintenance of fire equipment. Bass stated the primary issue was that the fire chief sent 1,000 firefighters home before the fire.

Public Safety

All three candidates agreed public safety was a top priority but differed on police funding and staffing. Bass said she negotiated police raises to slow attrition. Raman opposed the raises and favored keeping staffing at current levels of approximately 8,600 officers. Pratt supported increasing the force to 12,500 officers within a decade.

Film Industry

Raman called for a cap-free tax credit guaranteed for multiple years. Pratt advocated for post-production tax credits. Bass has not made specific proposals regarding the film industry.

Statements

Following the primary results, Raman stated:

"Right now, we have a city that feels rudderless. So many positions that haven't been filled, places where Angelenos feel abandoned on some of the most important issues facing this city. I will bring that urgency, accountability, and focus."

Bass stated:

"We are going to work together to make sure that this city thrives."

Pratt, after being eliminated, posted a video in which he stated the "campaign portion of my mission to save Los Angeles is coming to a close." He claimed to have recordings that could damage one of the remaining candidates but did not provide evidence. He also stated he would not leave the city.

Political Context

Los Angeles has not elected a Republican mayor since Richard Riordan in 1997. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the city by a ratio of approximately 4 to 1.

Election Integrity Claims

Following Raman's overtaking of Pratt in the vote count, unsubstantiated claims of election fraud were made by Pratt and former President Donald Trump. The Justice Department assigned a federal prosecutor to observe ballot processing in Los Angeles. The FBI's Los Angeles office confirmed it had multiple election fraud investigations underway, but no evidence of widespread fraud affecting the outcome of this race was immediately presented.

Other Candidates

Other candidates who appeared on the ballot included Rae Huang, a Democratic socialist advocate, and Adam Miller, a tech entrepreneur. Neither received enough votes to advance.