Nithya Raman will face incumbent Karen Bass in November's Los Angeles mayoral runoff after edging out Spencer Pratt, the former reality television personality who surged early in the primary but fell behind as ballots continued to be counted.
Raman, a city council member and self-described democratic socialist, had trailed Pratt for days following the primary election held on June 2. But as Los Angeles finished processing ballots from election week, the progressive challenger pulled ahead, securing her spot in the general election.
Bass clinched her own spot in the November runoff on primary night, though the race for the second position remained uncertain for nearly a week as officials worked through the state's notoriously slow ballot processing.
Pratt's rapid rise and equally swift stumble marked one of the most unexpected arcs in recent LA politics. The former star of MTV's 'The Hills' launched his campaign after his Pacific Palisades home burned in the 2025 wildfires. With little political experience but considerable social media savvy, he rapidly built a lead through controversial campaign videos and blunt attacks on both Bass and Raman, calling them ineffective leaders.
His campaign drew scrutiny for more than just his political novice status. As a registered Republican running in overwhelmingly Democratic Los Angeles, Pratt faced questions about his viability. As ballot counts stretched on, he took to social media with posts suggesting election improprieties, hinting that Raman's late-counted votes came from the city's unhoused population.
Bass's campaign wasted no time defining the general election matchup. "A campaign against Nithya Raman, who allows encampments near schools and cuts the police force, is one Mayor Bass looks forward to winning," said Douglas Herman, a campaign strategist.
The tension between Bass and Raman carries an uncomfortable history. Raman filed to enter the race just hours before the deadline in February, shocking city political circles. Weeks earlier, she had publicly endorsed Bass's re-election. The two had also exchanged public praise on social media, with Bass calling Raman "a perfect example of how elected officials should be" and Raman expressing gratitude for Bass's friendship.
When asked about the apparent contradiction, Raman deflected. She said the future of Los Angeles should not be discussed "in the context of friendship or betrayal" and insisted the focus belong on the city's actual challenges.
Those challenges are substantial. The next mayor must demonstrate real progress on homelessness, a crisis that has long plagued the city. They will also inherit the task of revitalizing a Hollywood production industry that has contracted sharply, and strengthening emergency preparedness after 2025's catastrophic wildfires.
Bass's first term has been marked by both achievement and controversy. Before entering city hall, she spent respected tenures in the state assembly and U.S. Congress, becoming a figure of significance in both state and national politics. She defeated billionaire developer Rick Caruso in 2022 to become Los Angeles's first female mayor.
But her standing suffered dramatically after the devastating wildfires. Bass was in Ghana on a diplomatic trip when the fires broke out, and her absence, combined with reports of budget cuts to the fire department, triggered widespread calls for her resignation. She has since worked to rebuild public confidence, though discontent over the city's post-fire recovery and the persistent homelessness crisis remain significant obstacles.
Raman's political identity centers on housing and economic justice. In 2020, she defeated incumbent David Ryu in a stunning upset that energized democratic socialists nationwide. She has pointed to her record capping rent increases and reducing street encampments by half in her council district as evidence of her effectiveness.
The two candidates diverge notably on homelessness strategy. Bass champions Inside Safe, a city program that clears encampments and places people in temporary housing, typically motels. Raman has criticized the initiative as wasteful without meaningful results. She has proposed instead to overhaul homeless programs with data tracking and accountability metrics.
They have also clashed over Raman's votes against hiring additional firefighters post-wildfires and against an anti-camping ordinance, which Raman views as a band-aid solution rather than substantive policy.
Raman has secured backing from prominent progressive colleagues on the city council. Bass, meanwhile, has drawn support from Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and other establishment California Democrats.
The November election will pit Bass's record of political experience and endorsements against Raman's appeal as a change agent aligned with the city's left wing on housing and social policy.
Author James Rodriguez: "Pratt's collapse from frontrunner to also-ran shows how fragile reality TV fame is in electoral politics, but Raman's late surge suggests that deep-blue LA voters may still prefer ideological conviction over celebrity novelty when it matters most."
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