Nithya Raman has secured a spot in the Los Angeles mayoral runoff election against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, narrowly surpassing reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the primary results.
The City Council member Raman entered the race late, filing just 115 days before the primary, which necessitated a rapid campaign build-up to gain name recognition and persuade voters. On Monday, the Associated Press confirmed Raman would advance to the November 3 runoff, joining Bass who finished first. Pratt, who held a lead on election night, saw his position diminish as mail-in ballots were tallied, ultimately falling behind Raman by nearly 3 percentage points.
Current results show Bass with 34.3% of the vote, Raman with 28.6%, and Pratt with 25.8%. Raman expressed honor at the results and called for voters dissatisfied with the current status quo to join her campaign. She criticized City Hall for prioritizing powerful interests over the needs of working people, citing issues like high rents and diminished city services.
Elections officials reported Raman leading Pratt by 21,819 votes, with 229,576 to 207,757, and an estimated 148,100 votes still outstanding. In response to the outcome, Bass's strategist Douglas Herman stated that Mayor Bass anticipates a winning campaign against Raman, particularly criticizing Raman's stances on encampments and police force size. Pratt has not yet commented.
While Pratt garnered national attention through media appearances and social media, Raman focused on direct voter engagement, attending numerous community events and targeting renters and younger voters. Her campaign utilized the city's matching funds program, securing $1.25 million to finance its operations. Raman's team also strategically amplified Pratt's political views, linking them to conservative figures and portraying his platform as out of step with Los Angeles values. She contrasted Pratt's perceived "MAGA Republican's idea of what Los Angeles looks like" with her own campaign's focus on functional governance and addressing the concerns of everyday Angelenos.
The election also saw a challenge from the left, with the Rev. Rae Huang running as a progressive alternative. Raman's campaign reportedly attempted to persuade Huang to withdraw to consolidate support against Pratt, an effort that failed. Huang's campaign secured less than 3% of the vote. Raman's campaign is credited with a sophisticated outreach operation, including direct voter contact and social media influence, bolstered by support from progressive organizations and influencers.
