Raman closes – Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman cut Spencer Pratt’s lead to about 3 percentage points in the mayoral primary, according to the latest results released Friday. Bass remained first, while the election’s path to a Nov. 3 runoff depends on whether any
Los Angeles politics moved by inches Friday night, after the newest election numbers showed Nithya Raman closing quickly on Spencer Pratt in the race for second place.
Raman, a City Councilmember, has been steadily carving into Pratt’s margin over three days of updates. In the latest count released Friday, she trailed by about 3 percentage points and 20,672 votes in the contest to reach the runoff against Mayor Karen Bass on Nov. 3.
The runoff would follow the top-two system unless a candidate secures a majority of the vote in the primary. With that rule in place, the competition for second place has become its own battleground—because even a big first-place finish doesn’t settle everything.
Bass, seeking a second four-year term, was in first place on election night and has held onto that position through every update. In Friday’s report, she had 35% of the vote. Pratt stood at 28%, while Raman posted 25%.
The vote counting isn’t finished. Mail-in ballots with an election day postmark will continue to be accepted by county election officials through Tuesday. The county plans to release updated results every day through June 12, after which the updates will become more sporadic.
While the race for mayoral runoff spots tightened, the same numbers clarified who will be heading back to City Hall—and who won’t. Of the nine incumbents seeking reelection this year, Bass is the only one pushed into a second round.
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto failed to make the runoff, trailing Deputy Attorney General Marissa Roy and Deputy District Attorney John McKinney.
In an email sent Friday to supporters, Feldstein Soto said voters had spoken. “Respecting the voice of the people is at the heart of our democracy,” she wrote.
City Controller Kenneth Mejia, meanwhile, easily fended off a challenge from real estate executive Zach Sokoloff. Sokoloff’s campaign was bolstered by $7.5 million in outside spending by his mother.
Half a dozen council members also won reelection, with one contest standing out. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez faced four challengers and declared victory Friday in an Instagram post. She thanked the volunteers. supporters. and neighbors who helped her campaign. writing. “Together. we earned another term for our community and our movement.”.
Friday’s update put Hernandez at 54% of the vote.
As the county continues taking in ballots through Tuesday and the daily updates run through June 12, the question hanging over Los Angeles remains the same: who breaks away—and who gets forced into that second, higher-stakes round.
Los Angeles mayoral primary Nithya Raman Spencer Pratt Karen Bass Nov. 3 runoff Hydee Feldstein Soto Marissa Roy John McKinney election results City Hall incumbents Eunisses Hernandez
3 points?? That’s basically nothing, this whole election gonna flip last minute.
I don’t even know why they call it “tightening” when they still don’t count everything. Mail-in ballots accepted until Tuesday like… what are we doing lol. Bass already “35%” but it still might not matter?
Wait so Raman needs second place to go against Bass, right? But if Bass gets a majority then the whole Pratt/Raman thing is pointless? Idk I’m lost. Also “top-two system” sounds like a scam to me, like they want chaos.
Every update it’s like “Pratt lead shrinks” but nobody says by how much it was yesterday, like I’m supposed to do math in my head. Also why are they still counting mail ballots after election day? I heard something about a City Attorney getting bumped, and that feels like drama more than democracy. If my neighbor’s ballot isn’t counted yet then it’s not “official,” simple.