Nithya Raman moves past Spencer Pratt to take second place in the LA mayoral race.

Election Update: Nitya Raman Surpasses Spencer Pratt in LA Mayoral Race

Nitya Raman has taken the lead over Spencer Pratt for second place in the Los Angeles mayoral race for the first time.

New results from Los Angeles County show Raman with 196,198 votes (27.12%), edging out Pratt, who garnered 193,085 votes (26.69%).

Just a day prior, Raman was behind Pratt by 7,494 votes; the latest count reveals he’s now ahead by 3,113 votes. Impressively, Raman received 19,096 votes in the most recent tally, more than double Pratt’s 8,489.

The latest poll indicated a swing of 10,607 votes, placing Raman firmly in second and eliminating Pratt’s lead.

Meanwhile, Mayor Karen Bass remains in first with 250,871 votes, or 34.68%. This shift is quite a departure from election night when Pratt appeared to be in a strong position for the runoff.

Over the past week, as more votes were counted, Raman steadily closed the gap, making significant progress on Sunday.

Political analysts have noted that later-counted votes in California often come from younger, more progressive demographics, a key support base for Raman.

The recent results have drawn attention to Los Angeles County’s slow vote-counting process, leading to speculation online. Some social media users alleged that one candidate had received no votes in an election night update.

These claims reached federal scrutiny after U.S. Attorney Bill Esseri investigated the assertions.

Esseri stated, “Claims circulated that ballots were updated incorrectly and that one candidate received zero votes. We have reviewed official records, and that is false. Each candidate received votes during each update. My office is committed to overseeing the election counting process and will follow up on any evidence.”

In response to the vote update, Pratt shared a post on social media, indicating, “Remember, we are still in the lead and need to keep counting until July 6th. Others know where they are voting too.”

As of the latest update, Los Angeles County’s vote count rate stands at 83%, as confirmed by election officials. California counties have until early July to finalize and certify their election results.

Changes in the Governor’s Race

The governor’s race also saw developments, with former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra expanding his lead over Republican opponent Steve Hilton.

Becerra’s vote count climbed from 1,732,755 votes (26.8%) on Saturday to 1,827,195 votes (27.0%) on Sunday, marking an increase of 94,440 votes.

In contrast, Hilton’s total rose from 1,704,821 votes (26.4%) on Saturday to 1,763,414 votes (26.1%) on Sunday, but he still trailed Becerra by 35,847 votes, increasing from a previous margin of 27,934 votes.