In a dynamic turn of events, Karen Bass and Nithya Raman have emerged as the frontrunners in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, setting the stage for a likely showdown in the November runoff. This development comes as reality TV star Spencer Pratt slips to third place in the race.
The announcement of Raman securing the number two spot was made by Decision Desk HQ on Sunday, with nearly 87 percent of the votes tallied. Bass, the incumbent, garnered 34.68 percent of the vote, while Raman followed closely with 27.12 percent.
Spencer Pratt, who initially held a lead over Raman, received 26.69 percent. His early advantage has dwindled over the past week as mail-in ballots have been counted. Meanwhile, Bass had already solidified her place in the runoff by June 2.
Despite the current standings, Pratt has yet to concede. On Sunday, he suggested his campaign might hold out until July 6 to ensure every vote is counted. “Remember everyone…we are still in the lead, and we’ve got allllllll the way til July 6th to keep counting. They’re not the only ones who know where to find votes,” he stated, indicating his determination to continue the fight.
Spencer Pratt has not yet conceded the election and even said earlier on Sunday that his campaign may wait until July 6 to count all votes.
“Remember everyone…we are still in the lead, and we’ve got allllllll the way til July 6th to keep counting. They’re not the only ones who know where to find votes,” he said on Sunday.
“California elections often take several days to resolve, a function of the nation’s most populous state running a largely mail-in election in which properly postmarked ballots received up to seven days after Election Day can be counted,” noted CNN.
“Votes reported after election night in California tend to shift toward Democrats, as they typically include mail ballots that were cast closer to Election Day itself,” it added.
The Los Angeles mayoral race is non-partisan, but both Karen Bass and Nithya Raman are registered Democrats, while Pratt is a registered Republican.