Karen Bass and Nithya Raman Advance to November Runoff in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

Nithya Raman advanced to a November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after updated vote counts showed her moving past Republican candidate Spencer Pratt. The outcome eliminates Pratt from the race. Raman gained votes on Pratt in every update released since Election Day as Los Angeles continued processing mail ballots.

She moved into second place on Sunday and extended her lead to nearly 22,000 votes by Monday. The mayoral race is technically nonpartisan. Bass received under 35 percent of the vote according to incomplete returns.

California’s slow vote-counting process delayed the final determination of the runoff matchup by nearly a week. Ballots postmarked by Election Day are counted if received within seven days. Raman was elected to the city council with support from the Democratic Socialists of America.

She has promised to speed up housing construction, bring back entertainment industry jobs, and improve city services. Bass represents the Democratic establishment and is backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and influential labor unions.

She served in the state Legislature and Congress before becoming mayor in 2022. Raman has shifted some positions since entering the race. She once posted support for reducing police funding but now says the Los Angeles Police Department should remain at its current size of about 8,600 officers.

Raman opposed efforts to prohibit homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools but later said she would not block no-camping zones if elected mayor. Bass campaign materials have highlighted differences on policing and homelessness policy.