LA mayoral primary: Bass leads as Pratt positions for historic runoff
California election results: Tracking governor, LA mayor's races
In the sprawling race to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom, a crowded field of 61 candidates has left voters highly fragmented, while in Los Angeles, an equally tense nonpartisan mayoral primary is seeing incumbent Karen Bass fight to defend her seat against reality TV star Spencer Pratt and progressive council member Nithya Raman.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is moving toward November's general election to secure a second term, with former reality television personality Spencer Pratt shaping up as her likely runoff opponent, though City Councilwoman Nithya Raman remains hopeful for a late surge as vote-counting continues.
What we know:
Unofficial results from Tuesday's primary show Bass leading the mayoral field with 35% (172,720 votes), followed by Pratt at 30% (151,149 votes) and Raman at 22% (110,848 votes).
Tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and housing advocate Rae Chen Huang trail significantly at 4% and 3%, respectively.
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Bass, elected in 2022, enters the race with endorsements from Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, but faces heavy scrutiny over her handling of the dual housing and homelessness crisis.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Karen Bass advances in LA mayoral race
As Bass leads the way in the mayoral race with the most votes so far, the wait continues for who will face her in the November general election.
She has also faced intense backlash for being in Ghana on a U.S. delegation when the devastating January 2025 Palisades Fire broke out—a tragedy that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures, including Pratt's home. Pratt launched his campaign on the one-year anniversary of the fire, running as a registered Republican focusing on corruption, homelessness, and rebuilding the Palisades.
Raman, a progressive councilwoman who entered the race at the filing deadline, has criticized Bass's signature "Inside Safe" homelessness initiative as too costly, advocating instead for data-driven subsidies and expanding housing density.
What we don't know:
It is currently unknown exactly how many ballots remain to be tallied across Los Angeles County.
What they're saying:
"I will tell you, it's looking good so far. We got a lot more to go, but so far it's looking good," Bass told supporters at her watch party at The LINE LA Hotel, adding, "We're going to build a city where parents and kids do not have to navigate tents."
"This is the first time since 2005 that an incumbent is going to a runoff. This is not a candidate that I'm too concerned about," Pratt said, noting he has five months to prove his case. "I'm ready for whatever God puts in front of me."
Ballot counting, processing continues in City of Industry
As of 9 a.m., more than 1 million ballots had officially been counted.
"They came at us with everything that they have — the corporate landlords, the city hall insiders, the corporations who have spent years making sure City Hall worked for them, and not for the people," Raman said at her downtown gathering.
What's next:
Election officials will continue to process and count vote-by-mail and provisional ballots over the coming days.
Bass, Pratt unofficially lead LA mayor race
Incumbent Karen Bass and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt are unofficially leading the California primary in the race for Los Angeles mayor. Former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra and conservative commentator Steve Hilton are both unofficially in the top-2 so far as ballots are being counted in the race for California governor.
If the current order stands, Bass and Pratt will spend the next five months campaigning across Los Angeles communities ahead of the decisive November general election runoff.
The Source: This report is based on data provided by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.