Nithya Raman Overtakes Spencer Pratt In Mayoral Race

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India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA- Indian American City Councilmember Nithya Raman has moved into second place in the race for Los Angeles mayor, overtaking former reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the latest vote count and positioning herself for a likely November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.  

According to updated election results released June 8, Raman led Pratt by 3,113 votes, receiving 196,198 votes to his 193,085. The turnaround is notable because Pratt held a lead of more than 40,000 votes shortly after the June 2 primary election.  

Bass remains the leading candidate with 250,871 votes, or about 34.7 percent of ballots counted so far. California’s primary system advances the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party affiliation. 

“We are encouraged by the latest vote count and remain grateful to the thousands of Angelenos who have powered this campaign,” Raman said in a statement to Deadline following the latest tally.

Born in Kerala to Tamil parents, Raman moved with her family to Louisiana as a child. She graduated from Harvard University and earned a master’s degree in urban planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Raman first won election to the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, becoming the first South Asian and first Asian American woman elected to the body. Her victory was widely viewed as a political upset, defeating a longtime incumbent while campaigning on housing affordability and homelessness issues.  

Her mayoral platform focuses on affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, public services, addressing homelessness, and supporting Los Angeles’ entertainment industry as it faces growing competition and technological disruption.

The latest vote count has intensified the contest between Bass and Raman, who were once considered political allies. Bass campaign spokesperson Alex Stack criticized Raman’s record following the updated results, signaling what could become a highly contested general election campaign if Raman officially secures a runoff spot. Meanwhile, Pratt’s campaign is reportedly considering a recount if the final certified results leave him outside the top two candidates.

The race is unfolding against a backdrop of increased scrutiny after federal authorities announced an inquiry into aspects of California’s voter registration and vote-counting procedures. Election officials have continued to defend the integrity of the state’s election process as ballot counting and certification remain underway.  

While additional ballots are still being processed, the current trend strongly favors Raman advancing to the Nov. 3 runoff election against Bass. If elected, Raman would become the first Indian American and first South Asian mayor of Los Angeles, one of the largest and most influential cities in the United States.