Nithya Raman, a Democratic City Councilwoman, has secured a spot in the November election for the mayor of Los Angeles. Raman overtook former reality TV star Spencer Pratt in a tight race, thanks to a late surge of mail-in votes counted on Sunday (June 7). She will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the general election.

Raman, who represents Los Angeles City Council District 4, is known for her progressive policies and is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Her campaign focuses on addressing housing affordability by accelerating construction and increasing density in Los Angeles. According to CNN, she gained significant ground in the race, receiving about 40% of the votes reported over the weekend.

Pratt, a registered Republican, initially led Raman by 8.1 percentage points after the June 2 primary. However, as mail-in ballots were counted, Raman's support grew, surpassing Pratt by over 3,000 votes. The Realtor.com reports that Pratt's campaign centered on combating homelessness and criticized Mayor Bass's leadership during recent wildfires.

President Donald Trump questioned the integrity of the election process in California, alleging without evidence that Raman's late surge was due to ballot tampering. California's election process allows for mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received within seven days, often favoring Democratic candidates.

Mayor Bass, who is seeking re-election, has focused on reducing homelessness and improving housing affordability. She criticized Raman's record on job preservation and immigration enforcement. As reported by Ballotpedia, Bass has also worked on infrastructure improvements and crime reduction during her tenure.

The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, where Raman and Bass will compete for the mayoral seat in Los Angeles.

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