Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman has overtaken Spencer Pratt to secure second place in the city’s mayoral primary, setting the stage for a runoff election against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. Following a week of ballot counting, the latest figures from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk place Raman at 27.1% of the vote, while Pratt has moved to third place with 26.7%. Mayor Bass, who leads the field with approximately 35% of the vote, has already confirmed her position in the November runoff.
The shift in the rankings occurred following the latest round of ballot processing, which was finalized on Sunday, June 7, 2026. According to election officials, roughly 83% of the total ballots have been processed, though the exact number of outstanding vote-by-mail and provisional ballots remains unconfirmed. This ongoing tallying process has kept the final composition of the November ballot in flux as officials continue to verify the remaining submissions.
A Shift in the Mayoral Primary Rankings
The race for the second-place spot has been characterized by a narrow margin and a lengthy counting process. Initially, Spencer Pratt held a significant lead, with reports indicating he was ahead by approximately 40,000 votes as ballots were tallied on Wednesday. However, as additional rounds of counting progressed throughout the week, that lead steadily diminished. By Sunday, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk reported that Raman had secured 196,198 votes, compared to 193,085 for Pratt.
This development marks a significant turn for Raman, a progressive Democrat who has served on the Los Angeles City Council since 2020. Her campaign has centered on housing policy and municipal reform, notably focusing on zoning changes to accelerate housing production and the implementation of tenant protection measures. Her previous election to the City Council in 2020 was noted for its grassroots nature, with thousands of volunteers participating in her campaign.
Spencer Pratt, a former reality television personality, has expressed frustration regarding the duration of the ballot counting process. On Saturday, he shared commentary on social media platform X, using an image from the film “A Beautiful Mind” to depict the difficulty of tracking the local vote count. Prior to that, he had shared images from outside Los Angeles City Hall with the caption, “Patience….”
Me trying to figure out how votes get counted in LA pic.twitter.com/cXsbXNsY5C
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) June 7, 2026
The Road to the November Runoff
While Mayor Karen Bass has secured her place in the November runoff election, the identity of her challenger remains subject to the finalization of the primary results. The uncertainty stems from the volume of mail-in and provisional ballots that require manual verification by county staff. Because these ballots represent a significant portion of the electorate, the final margin between Raman and Pratt may continue to shift as processing continues.
The electoral process in Los Angeles is governed by the rules set forth by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, which oversees the secure processing and tabulation of all ballots. For voters and observers tracking the final outcome, the office provides ongoing updates as new batches of votes are verified. The primary election serves as the gatekeeper for the general election, where the top two candidates will face off to determine the next mayor of Los Angeles.
As the county continues to process the remaining ballots, both campaigns remain in a state of waiting. The conclusion of the ballot count will determine the final head-to-head matchup for the November election. Residents can monitor official updates through the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk website to see the final certified results once all eligible ballots have been tabulated.
We will continue to provide updates as new election data becomes available. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below or join the discussion on our social media channels.