Supporters of Spencer Pratt, a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, have been taken aback by a surprising surge in votes for socialist contender Nitya Raman, which has disrupted Pratt’s previously clear trajectory toward a runoff in November.
A recent influx of late ballots has changed the landscape of the race, with Pratt’s lead diminishing daily. Suddenly, a runoff between Mayor Karen Bass and Raman appears increasingly likely.
This unexpected turn left many voters reeling, trying to process what had transpired.
Kenyatta Cole, a Pratt supporter, was initially at a loss for words when informed by the California Post about Raman’s quick advance toward Pratt’s position in the runoff.
Cole described Raman’s rise as “unbelievable,” adding, “I’m shocked. I can’t help it.”
Expressing his frustration, Cole, whose family has been involved in the city’s now-closed need-based transportation truck program for generations, voiced concern over the slow counting of votes. “Things need to change,” he said. “We should stop mailing ballots to everyone.”
Nico Ruderman, a former state Senate candidate and Councilman from Venice Neighborhood, acknowledged that many voters are struggling to reconcile the latest results with their expectations from election night.
“It’s like being mocked for hope and then having it stripped away,” he told the Post, emphasizing that the prolonged counting is causing anxiety, regardless of the winner.
“People need to believe in their elections. The perception of integrity matters as much as actual integrity,” he remarked.
“Elections should unites us. Slow counts breed mistrust and deepen divisions at a time when we need to come together.”
Sue Pascoe, another Pratt supporter and founder of a local news site, expressed her dismay, noting that many had hoped for swift resolutions after a lengthy period of dissatisfaction with city governance. She pointed out, “It’s been 16, 17 months since the fire, and nothing has changed. People still can’t rebuild, the permitting system is broken, and the streets aren’t getting fixed.”
Pascoe raised doubts over Raman’s voting numbers, questioning how a small loss could lead to such drastic shifts. “It just doesn’t seem logical,” she said. “If you could explain where those ballots came from, it would help. But when the voting patterns change suddenly without any clarity, it leaves a lot of people wondering.”
The latest update showed Raman gaining significant ground, reducing Pratt’s lead to about 1% with thousands of votes still pending. Once nearly 20,000 votes ahead, Pratt’s margin shrank to just 7,494 votes.
In the most recent counts, Raman secured 23,514 votes, more than double Pratt’s 10,336. Initially, at 10:15 p.m. on election night, 48% of the votes had been tallied, revealing Bass leading with 36.65%. Pratt seemed likely to advance with 29.55%, while Raman trailed at 20.79%.
Longtime political strategist Rick Taylor highlighted that the slow counting process in California reflects issues within the voting system and calls for potential reforms. He cautioned that such delays are undermining public trust.
“The intent behind voting by mail was to enhance participation and make voting easier,” Taylor stated. “Now we need to question if the turnout increase justifies a system that takes days or weeks to finalize.”
“When results keep pending days after the election, public trust begins to wane,” he remarked. “Voters start to wonder what’s going on.” As of Saturday, about 71% of the votes had been counted, with election officials promising to provide daily updates as they process the remaining ballots.
