A reality star's lead vanishes as slow vote counts throw the Los Angeles mayor's race into chaos
With only 150,000 ballots left, progressive Nithya Raman has overtaken TV star Spencer Pratt by just 3,100 votes to challenge Mayor Karen Bass.
When the voting stops, the waiting begins. This leaves the future of a major city hanging in the balance as every single envelope is sliced open.
What Happened
Days after the election, the race for Los Angeles mayor is too close to call. Current Mayor Karen Bass has secured her spot in the final round, but her opponent remains a mystery.
A local leader named Nithya Raman just jumped into second place. She passed former TV star Spencer Pratt.
Raman now leads Pratt by a tiny margin of about 3,100 votes. This shift happened as workers slowly count the final mail-in ballots.
What the evidence shows
- 3,100 votes: The slim lead Nithya Raman holds over Spencer Pratt.
- 150,000 ballots: The expected number of votes left to count in Los Angeles County.
- 8 points: The lead current Mayor Karen Bass holds over Spencer Pratt.
- 7 days: The time allowed for mailed ballots to arrive and be counted under local law.
- 0.4 percent: The tiny gap separating the second and third-place candidates.
The Bigger Question
Why does it take so long to count votes in the nation's biggest state? California's system is made to make voting easy by mailing a ballot to everyone, but the slow count often breeds deep distrust.
When results shift days after the polls close, it opens the door for wild theories. This happens even when the basic math makes perfect sense.
The Other Side
Some critics argue that the changing numbers point to fraud. They have called for federal probes into the shift. However, official data shows that many voters simply mail their ballots late, meaning those votes are processed last.
What Happens Now
The final count will decide the city's future direction. If Pratt wins, Los Angeles faces a fierce debate over right-wing ideas and homelessness. If Raman wins, the race becomes a battle between the city leaders and the left over housing and jobs.
What We Still Don't Know
- How many of the remaining 150,000 ballots are from areas that favor Raman or Pratt?
- Will the losing candidate challenge the results or demand a recount?
- Can either challenger build enough support to defeat Karen Bass in November?
Source Note
Source: Associated Press. All charges are allegations - Spencer Pratt is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Transparency notes
Published: Jun 8, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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Sources
External source links were not provided in this article body. Our editors reference publicly available materials and update stories as new verified information arrives.
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