Spencer Pratt’s Runoff Hopes Take A Hit As Socialist Rival Surges

Leftist Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman will advance to the November mayoral election after nearly a week of counting late-arriving ballots, locking Republican Spencer Pratt out of the race.

Sunday’s vote drop surged Raman past Pratt for the first time, a stunning turnaround for the leftist who trailed Pratt by more than nine points on election night.

With 83% of the vote counted, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass holds 34.7%, Raman in second at 27.1% and Pratt placing third with 26.7%. Decision Desk HQ projected the race at 7:57 p.m. EDT.

Decision Desk HQ projects Nithya Raman wins the second of two spots in the CA Los Angeles Mayor Nonpartisan Primary#DecisionMade: 7:57 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/PIwkJ5xxGO

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 7, 2026

Pratt and Raman have been watching the returns closely since the primary election was held on June 2 to determine which of them will face off in November against Democrat incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. Pratt held a lead of nearly ten points on Election Day, but every subsequent ballot dump has favored Raman by a large margin.

The projection effectively ends Pratt’s campaign, which tapped into the reality TV star’s savvy social media background to push a message of change in a city plagued by chronic challenges, including homelessness, crime and an affordability crisis.

Under California’s system, the top two votegetters in the mayoral primary, regardless of party, secure a place in the November election if neither receives more than 50% of the vote. Bass already secured a spot in the runoff, according to projections.

On Sunday, Pratt joined many Republicans nationwide in questioning California’s painstakingly slow vote-counting process. He responded to a social media post stating that late-arriving mail ballots had shifted the race by more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday, comparing that figure to the number of people living on the streets.

“A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday. … 43,000, huh? Where have I seen that number before? Probably nothing,” Pratt said on X.

He is not alone. President Donald Trump stormed out of a ‘Meet the Press’ interview that aired Sunday over election integrity issues in California, ramping up his criticism he first expressed last week.

Trump took to Truth Social late Wednesday night and again on Thursday to accuse Democrats of election fraud, asking, “Why the vote counting DELAY???”

“Look what’s happening in California, the Dumocrats, right before our very eyes, are stealing the vote,” Trump posted on Thursday.

Democrats deny accusations of fraud, pointing to California’s extensive vote-by-mail system and grace period for arriving ballots for the delay in results.

Pratt, a victim of the devastating January 2025 wildfires, captured national attention with a stronger-than-expected debate performance and viral advertisements railing against the city’s quality of life. He attempted to reach across party lines in a deep blue city where Republicans only make up 15% of registered voters.

Raman, who is aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, launched a last-minute challenge to Bass and campaigned to peel away support from the mayor’s Left flank. On Tuesday night, she fought back tears as she addressed supporters in downtown Los Angeles.

“I hope you know that everything every person in this room is fighting for in this campaign has been about building a city that’s worthy of you and every child in this city,” Raman said.