Spencer Pratt Falls to Third Place in Los Angeles Mayoral Race as Nithya Raman Surges Ahead

The race for second place in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral primary has taken a dramatic turn, with reality television personality Spencer Pratt slipping into third place behind City Councilmember Nithya Raman as more ballots continue to be counted.

While incumbent Mayor Karen Bass remains comfortably in first place and is widely expected to advance to the November runoff election, the battle for the second runoff spot has become one of the most closely watched political stories in California.

Raman Overtakes Pratt in Tight Contest

On election night following the June 2 primary, Spencer Pratt appeared to be in a strong position. The former The Hills star held a significant advantage over Raman and looked likely to secure a place in the November runoff against Bass.

However, as Los Angeles County officials processed thousands of additional mail-in ballots over the following days, the gap steadily narrowed.

According to the latest vote totals released Sunday, Raman moved ahead of Pratt for the first time. Raman now holds approximately 27.1% of the vote, while Pratt has fallen slightly behind at 26.7%.

With roughly 83% of expected ballots counted, the margin separating the two candidates is only a few thousand votes, leaving the race unresolved but increasingly difficult for Pratt.

California's election system advances the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation. If the current results hold, Raman and Bass will move on to the general election in November, eliminating Pratt from contention.

Why the Vote Totals Changed

The shift in standings is largely tied to California's vote-counting process.

Los Angeles County continues to count mail-in ballots that were postmarked by Election Day and received within the legally allowed period afterward. Election officials verify signatures and eligibility before adding those votes to the final tally.

Political analysts note that late-arriving mail ballots in Los Angeles have historically favored progressive candidates, which helps explain Raman's gains during the counting process.

The county's voter turnout was also notably low. Early estimates show that only about 32% of eligible voters participated in the primary election, making every remaining ballot particularly important.

Pratt Questions the Vote Count

As his lead disappeared, Pratt began posting messages on social media suggesting skepticism about the ongoing vote-counting process.

One Instagram post featured actor Russell Crowe's character from A Beautiful Mind studying complex mathematical equations. Pratt captioned the image, "Me trying to figure out how votes get counted in LA."

In another post, Pratt referenced the extended counting timeline and suggested his campaign would continue monitoring the results closely.

His most controversial post linked the approximately 43,000-vote swing since election night to Los Angeles' homeless population statistics. Sharing election data alongside homelessness figures, Pratt hinted that the numbers were suspicious, though he offered no evidence of wrongdoing.

The comments quickly drew criticism from opponents and election observers, who pointed out that shifts in vote totals are common in California because large numbers of mail ballots are counted after Election Day.

Donald Trump Weighs In

Pratt's situation has also attracted attention from President Donald Trump.

Following Raman's rise into second place, Trump took to Truth Social to criticize the vote-counting process, describing it as a "Rigged Election!" His comments amplified claims from some conservatives who questioned why the vote totals continued changing days after polls closed.

Election officials and voting experts, however, have repeatedly emphasized that the counting timeline follows California law and reflects standard procedures used in previous elections.

No evidence of election fraud or irregularities has been presented by county officials.

Karen Bass Remains in Strong Position

While attention has centered on the battle between Pratt and Raman, Mayor Karen Bass has maintained a commanding lead throughout the race.

Bass consistently held first place from election night onward and has already been projected by several news organizations to advance to the November runoff.

The incumbent entered the race facing criticism over issues such as homelessness, public safety, and the city's handling of emergencies. Nevertheless, her broad support base has allowed her to remain well ahead of her challengers.

The real uncertainty now involves determining which candidate will join her on the November ballot.

How Spencer Pratt Entered Politics

Pratt's surprising political rise began after the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfire in January 2025.

The fire destroyed his family home and became a turning point in his public life. Pratt frequently criticized city leadership's response to the disaster, pointing to reports of broken fire equipment and infrastructure failures.

Exactly one year after the fire, he launched his mayoral campaign.

Rather than focusing on national political issues, Pratt centered his campaign on local concerns. He argued that Los Angeles had become unsafe and poorly managed, frequently describing the city in harsh terms while promising aggressive reforms.

His platform included increasing police resources, reducing funding for homelessness-related nonprofit organizations, clearing homeless encampments, and expanding mandatory treatment programs for individuals struggling with addiction.

Those positions helped him gain support from conservative voters and residents frustrated with city leadership.

The Complex Relationship With MAGA

One of the most unusual aspects of Pratt's campaign has been his relationship with Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.

Trump publicly praised Pratt during the campaign and suggested that he was aligned with MAGA values. Conservative media personalities and influencers also gave Pratt significant attention.

Yet Pratt repeatedly resisted being labeled a MAGA candidate.

During debates and interviews, he argued that his campaign was focused entirely on Los Angeles rather than national politics. When asked directly about Trump, Pratt often redirected the conversation back to local issues such as public safety and city services.

The strategy reflected Los Angeles' political reality. The city remains overwhelmingly Democratic, and openly embracing the MAGA label could alienate many moderate and independent voters.

Instead, Pratt attempted to position himself as a reform-minded outsider appealing to frustrated residents across party lines.

What Happens Next?

The race remains too close to be officially called.

Thousands of ballots are still being processed, and election officials are expected to continue updating totals in the coming days. The Associated Press and several major news organizations have not yet projected a winner for the second-place position.

For Pratt, the stakes are especially high.

Earlier in the campaign, he jokingly suggested that he would leave Los Angeles if he failed to become mayor. Whether that promise was serious or not, his path to City Hall has become significantly more difficult.

Meanwhile, Raman's late surge has energized progressives who want a more left-leaning alternative to Bass.

As ballot counting continues, Los Angeles voters are watching closely to see whether Pratt can reclaim second place or whether Raman's momentum will secure her spot in what could become a historic Bass-versus-Raman runoff election this November.