The California Cliffhanger: Nithya Raman Closes In on Spencer Pratt in LA Mayoral Race

As the state’s sluggish ballot count stretches into its fifth day, a reality star-turned-politician faces a tightening scramble for a place in November’s runoff.

Five days after the polls closed, California’s notorious "jungle primary" system has turned the Los Angeles mayoral contest into a nail-biter. While incumbent Karen Bass sits comfortably at the top with 34.81% of the vote, the real drama is unfolding in the fight for the second spot. Reality television veteran Spencer Pratt, who has held second place since Tuesday, is watching his lead evaporate as election officials process the latest batch of ballots.

The Shrinking Margin

The latest numbers are clear: the momentum is shifting. Pratt currently holds 27.32% of the vote, but Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman has surged to 26.21%. Just days ago, the gap between the two was a relatively comfortable three percentage points. Now, with nearly 157,000 additional ballots added to the count on June 6—bringing the total to over 1.77 million—the distance between the reality star and the council member has narrowed to a razor-thin margin.

The unpredictability of the count has led to public friction. Pratt has openly criticized the slow pace of the tally, echoing frustrations often seen in California’s prolonged election cycles. Yet, for voters and observers alike, the process remains a marathon, not a sprint. Under the state’s primary rules, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election on November 3, regardless of party. This means the battle between Pratt and Raman is essentially a dead heat that could flip with the next drop of data.

A Wider Political Shake-up

The uncertainty isn't limited to the municipal level. Across the state, the race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom remains equally high-stakes. While former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has already locked in his place for the general election, the secondary spot is still up for grabs. Republican Steve Hilton currently leads billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer, keeping the GOP’s hopes alive for a high-profile seat in a deep-blue state.

Why it matters

The shrinking gap in the Los Angeles race highlights a recurring trend in California politics: the "blue wave" or progressive shift often gathers steam as late-arriving mail-in ballots are counted. Raman’s late-stage surge suggests that while celebrity name recognition—a hallmark of Pratt’s campaign—can secure an early lead, the sustained, methodical turnout of the city’s established voting blocs often dictates the final outcome. If Raman overtakes Pratt, it will serve as a stark reminder that in a city as complex as Los Angeles, grassroots organizing often carries more weight than television fame in the final stretch of an election.