Spencer Pratt’s Mayoral Candidacy Faces Challenges
Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV figure, was initially predicted to progress to the Los Angeles mayoral election scheduled for November against the current mayor, Karen Bass. However, over the weekend, Nitya Raman, a city council member and third-place contender, began to gain significant ground during California’s extended vote counting period.
On Wednesday, the day after the election, Pratt held a notable lead of over 40,000 votes against Raman. Yet, this margin diminished steadily throughout the week, shrinking to just 33,000 votes by Friday.
Raman’s vote count surged from around 111,000 to 197,000 by Monday morning, pushing him ahead of Pratt by more than 3,000 votes, as reported by local news outlets.
“On election night, Pratt was ahead by roughly 40,000 votes, maintaining a 10-point lead,” stated KTTV reporter Matthew Seedorf. “However, as of tonight, Raman leads Pratt by about 3,100 votes, marking a drastic change of over 43,000 votes since Tuesday.”
Responding to the shifting figures, Pratt commented on social media, referencing a past article about the number of homeless individuals in Los Angeles. “43,000, right? Where have you seen that number before…? Probably nothing,” he quipped.
Even a week post-Election Day, California’s vote count remains at 83% completed.
The Associated Press has yet to determine who will compete against Bass in the runoff election.
A recent poll from late May demonstrated a close race among the three candidates, with Bass leading Raman by a single point and surpassing Pratt by four points. This margin was deemed “statistically insignificant” for the incumbent.
Voter priorities varied by candidate support: Pratt’s supporters highlighted concerns regarding crime and political corruption, while Raman’s and Bass’s allies focused on immigrant protection and affordable housing development.
Though the mayoral race is officially nonpartisan, Pratt is registered as a Republican and conducted a notable campaign within a strong Democratic region, which comprises just 15% of the population.
Mail-in ballots for the upcoming general election are expected to be sent out early in October.
