Left-wing candidate Nithya Raman looks set to oppose incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayor’s runoff in November, multiple reports Tuesday forecast, with Republican candidate Spencer Pratt pushed to the electoral wayside only after mail-in votes were added.
Pratt’s candidacy sat in second place after polls closed last Tuesday, but slipped in the standings as soon as mail-in vote counting began.
Raman, a Democratic Socialist on the Los Angeles City Council, held 28.5 percent of the votes as of late Monday, advancing past Republican Spencer Pratt who was at 25.8 percent, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
A slew of outlets including NBC News and CNN also projected Raman had secured enough votes to advance to move on despite the primary ballot count yet to be finished.
AFP notes the second-place candidate will go head-to-head in November with incumbent Bass, a Democratic former congresswoman first elected to lead the second-largest U.S. city in 2022, who has come under fire during her time in office.
“I’m incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles,” Raman said in a statement posted on X.
“Now our fight for a healthier, safer, more affordable, and more joyful Los Angeles continues,” she added.
Bass announced her win in a post on X, chortling “LA rejected Spencer Pratt and the MAGA agenda.”
Pratt, a onetime reality TV star, sat in second place after polls closed last Tuesday, but slipped in the standings as mail-in votes arrived for counting.
The Los Angeles mayoral race is non-partisan, but both Karen Bass and Nithya Raman are registered Democrats, while Pratt is a registered Republican.
The runoff vote will take place with the rest of the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3.
