Spencer Pratt’s chances in the Los Angeles mayoral runoff are looking shaky, just days after the Election Day results rolled in. In the jungle primary, current Democratic Mayor Karen Bass is set to advance to the November runoff, while Pratt’s lead over Democratic City Councilwoman Nitya Raman has dwindled to a mere 1 percentage point, with still a significant number of votes uncounted.
According to the latest tally from the AP, Pratt is ahead of Raman by only 7,494 votes, with 78% of the ballots counted. Bass is leading with 235,180 votes (34.8%), while Pratt has 184,596 votes (27.3%) and Raman trails closely at 177,102 votes (26.2%). Los Angeles County continues to process ballots that were postmarked by Election Day and received by June 9, which has raised the eyebrows of the Republican National Committee. Results must be finalized within 30 days and certified by July 10.
Political insiders are pointing fingers at California’s slow vote-counting process as “very embarrassing.” It’s notable that even after the primary on June 2, votes are still being tallied in California. The RNC is keeping an eye on how long it takes to finish counting these votes.
Recent updates show Raman gaining ground, having received 23,514 votes recently, more than double the 10,336 votes Pratt recorded. This dramatic shift reduced Pratt’s lead by 13,178 votes in just one day, putting the race for second in a tight spot.
Pratt took to X to express his frustration, sharing a meme questioning the counting process in Los Angeles. “Trying to understand how votes are counted in Los Angeles,” he posted over the weekend.
Under California’s top-two primary system, when no candidate secures over 50% of the votes, the top two contenders progress to the general election. The AP states that Bass has advanced, while Pratt and Raman compete for the second spot in November.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has made remarks about the delayed results, pointing to California Governor Gavin Newsom as a factor. “When Gavin Newsom was elected governor, results were known within a couple of days. Now it takes weeks,” McCarthy said during an appearance on Fox News.
Michael Trujillo, a seasoned Democratic strategist, thinks this delay is just “normal” for California elections, pushing back against criticism. He expressed frustration over external commentators misunderstanding the process, urging them to keep their distance.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised by conservatives on X regarding Pratt potentially being edged out by Raman. Robbie Starbuck remarked, “Today, Spencer Pratt is likely to be overtaken by the far-left Nitya Raman,” highlighting the trend of Raman’s unexpected rise in votes.
Some have even suggested parallels to less democratic systems, pointing out the unusual situation where a candidate can surge from third place after Election Day. Elon Musk chimed in, claiming that the lack of ID requirements in California elections contributes to possible fraud. He argued that mail-in voting combined with no-ID laws raises significant doubts.
Democrats have countered by noting the substantial advantage of registered Democratic voters over Republicans, despite Pratt running as an independent. Representative Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) pointed out the disparity in party registration numbers to explain the situation.
The RNC has expressed concern over the delays in voting, insisting that Americans expect transparency and timely reporting in elections. McCarthy highlighted issues with the changes to voting rules under Newsom, arguing that they have created confusion and undermined public trust.
As the drama continues, it seems the landscape of the mayoral race remains fluid and unpredictable, with both candidates making headlines for very different reasons. The election integrity debate is far from over, and it may take some time before clarity emerges.
