An underdog housing advocate just shook up the Los Angeles mayor race

An underdog housing advocate just shook up the Los Angeles mayor race

Nithya Raman secured 28.5 percent of the vote to force a runoff with Mayor Karen Bass after late ballots shifted the final count.

Lede

For weeks, political insiders said a grassroots campaign focused on cheap housing did not have a chance. Now, those same insiders have to watch a head-to-head battle for the future of Los Angeles.

What Happened

Nithya Raman has officially advanced to the general election for mayor of Los Angeles. She will face the current mayor, Karen Bass, in the upcoming vote.

Raman took second place in the June 2026 primary election. Initially, she trailed behind candidate Spencer Pratt in the early results.

But late mail-in ballots counted over the course of a week pushed Raman ahead. She finished with 28.5 percent of the total votes to secure her spot in the runoff.

What the evidence shows

• 28.5: The percentage of votes Nithya Raman won to take second place.
• 6: The number of days it took to count late mail-in ballots and shift the race.
• 2: The number of candidates left in the race for Los Angeles mayor.
• 1: The main campaign focus, which is making housing affordable for normal people.

The Bigger Question

This race shows a deep split in how people want to fix Los Angeles. Do voters want to trust the current leadership, or do they want a shift toward stronger tenant rights?

The late ballots suggest that people who vote by mail have very different hopes than those who vote early. It raises the question of who really speaks for the working class of LA.

The Other Side

Supporters of Mayor Karen Bass argue she has the experience and steady hand needed to run a massive city. They point to her deep record in office and believe her established plans will win over the majority of voters in the fall. This argument is strong because Bass still holds a wide base of support across traditional voting groups.

What Happens Now

Now, the race heats up as both candidates try to win over the voters who chose other options in the primary. For regular people in LA, this means months of intense debates about rent, housing, and the cost of living.

What We Still Don't Know

1. How many voters who backed other candidates will now support Raman?
2. What specific plans will Mayor Bass change to counter this progressive push?
3. Will voter turnout in the general election be higher than in the primary?