Nithya Raman Leads Spencer Pratt in Los Angeles Mayoral Primary

=== LATEST DEVELOPMENT (the current news — lead the headline and first paragraph with THIS) === [@WSJ] Republican Spencer Pratt missed the cut in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, according to the Asso... Republican Spencer Pratt missed the cut in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, according to the Associated Press, as the onetime reality-show star lost in his challenge to established Democratic leaders to run the country’s second-biggest city.

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[The Washington Times] Nithya Raman overtakes Spencer Pratt in L.A. mayoral race Nithya Raman, a progressive member of the Los Angeles City Council, surpassed reality-TV star Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral primary Sunday, after a surge in her vote count put her in second place.

=== EARLIER COVERAGE / BACKGROUND (context only — do NOT lead with this) === With 83 percent of votes counted, Nithya Raman held 27.1 percent and Spencer Pratt held 26.7 percent, according to the Associated Press. The same tally showed incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in first place and advancing to the November runoff.

Pratt led after the first results were released on Tuesday. According to the Washington Times, mail and late ballots allowed Raman to close the margin and overtake him on Sunday. The Associated Press has called the race for Bass and said the second-place finisher will join her in the runoff.

Raman's campaign emphasized progressive priorities. Los Angeles is a heavily Democratic city. Forbes reported that Elon Musk joined Donald Trump in boosting unsubstantiated claims about the election as Pratt dropped to third. The Forbes article cited anonymous observers linking the late-ballot surge to the city's Democratic lean.