Nithya Raman Pulls Ahead of Spencer Pratt, Sets Sights on L.A. Mayor Karen Bass in Highly Anticipated Runoff Election
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is set to compete against City Council member Nithya Raman in a runoff election for her position, which is scheduled to take place in November, according to projections by NBC News, thereby setting the stage for a direct one-on-one contest between two Democratic candidates.
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Karen Bass and Nithya Raman, who holds membership in the Democratic Socialists of America, have successfully emerged from a highly competitive primary field that consisted of candidates from all parties, including Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star and a registered Republican, who launched an insurgent campaign primarily focused on criticizing Bass for her handling of the Los Angeles wildfires that occurred last year.
As a result of no single candidate securing more than 50% of the total votes cast, the two candidates who finished at the top of the poll will proceed to a runoff election, which is slated to take place this fall, following the standard procedure for such elections.
NBC News had previously projected that Karen Bass would advance to the general election, and this latest development confirms that prediction, as she will now face Nithya Raman in the upcoming runoff.
Although Pratt initially trailed behind Bass on election night, securing second place, the subsequent vote counts have consistently exhibited a more Democratic-leaning trend, ultimately enabling Raman to overtake Pratt. This phenomenon is consistent with a broader pattern observed throughout California in this primary election, where the votes that were counted later have tended to lean more towards the Democratic party, following a significant increase in turnout among party members towards the end of the voting period.
Bass, who previously served as a member of Congress, first assumed the office of mayor in 2022, when she successfully defeated real estate developer Rick Caruso in a highly expensive electoral contest. However, Bass encountered intense criticism and backlash both during and after the devastating wildfires that occurred last year, including for her absence from the country at the time the fires initially broke out. The destructive wildfires resulted in the burning of over 16,000 structures, and at certain points, the fire hydrants and water tanks were depleted of water, which significantly hindered the efforts to combat the fire.
In the month of March, a significant 56% of the respondents who participated in a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times, which specifically focused on the city, expressed that they held an unfavorable view of the mayor, indicating a notable level of dissatisfaction among the city's residents.
It was within this particular context, characterized by a pronounced lack of support for the mayor, that Raman made the decision earlier in the year to initiate a campaign for the mayoral position, a move that was somewhat unexpected given her close political ties with Bass, the incumbent mayor. Raman had previously endorsed Bass for re-election before deciding to enter the mayoral race herself, and Bass had also provided her support to Raman during Raman's highly contested city council re-election campaign, which took place in 2024.
During the official launch of her campaign, Raman addressed her supporters and stated, “My team and I have made concerted efforts to intervene aggressively and effectively on the most pressing and urgent issues that our city is currently facing, including our severe housing and homelessness crisis, the need to establish a better and more responsive safety system, and ensuring that our basic services are functioning properly and efficiently to meet the needs of our citizens.
However, time and time again, whether it was in the building or at City Hall, I consistently encountered a wall of reluctance, a pronounced hesitation to move forward with the kind of transformative policy change that this city urgently requires at this particular moment in time.
During her campaign, Bass countered by arguing that Raman had failed to utilize her position on the council to implement the changes that she now claims are essential, emphasizing the need for action. At a debate held in May before the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, where Raman was also present, the mayor stated, “The problem lies in the fact that you are portraying yourself as someone who is brand new to the scene, or as if you have been on the outside looking in for nearly six years, which is not an accurate representation of your situation.”
While on the campaign trail, Bass also acknowledged the deep-seated frustrations that the public has been expressing regarding pressing issues such as the devastating wildfires and the pervasive problem of homelessness that is affecting Los Angeles, and at the same time, she highlighted the progress that her administration has made in addressing these concerns.
During an election-night speech last week, Bass exuded confidence regarding her re-election prospects, although at that particular moment, it was uncertain who her opponent would be in the subsequent runoff election.
Bass expressed her gratitude to her supporters, stating, “I appreciate you for believing in me, and I also appreciate you for standing with me when others doubted me, because you know who I am.” She further emphasized her commitment to her city, saying, “I have devoted my entire life to serving the city that I love, where I was born, and I’m going to continue to do that all the way to victory in November, as I remain dedicated to this cause.”
Bass' unstable standing with voters resulted in her facing challenges from both the left and the right sides of the political spectrum. The presence of Pratt in the race, including the social media videos he amplified and the criticisms he levied against Bass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and other prominent state Democrats, managed to draw higher-than-usual levels of national attention to the election, thereby elevating its profile.
The former star of the 2000s MTV show "The Hills" suffered the loss of his house in the devastating fires that occurred last year.
In addition to holding Bass accountable for the widespread destruction caused by last year's wildfires, he also made a pledge to eradicate the city's homelessness crisis if he were to be elected to office.
Although President Donald Trump did not formally endorse any candidate in the race, he did express his admiration for Pratt's bid, stating, "I'd like to see him do well, he's a character," which was seen as a gesture of support.
The fact that Raman has advanced to the runoff election is expected to result in a distinctly different type of race compared to the one that would have taken place if Bass had been competing against Pratt.
Prior to the primary election, a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times examined three potential one-on-one matchups, and the results of the survey indicated that both Bass and Raman held significant leads in potential contests against Pratt, suggesting that the outcome would resemble a more traditional partisan election.
However, the matchup between Bass and Raman, which was a Democrat-versus-Democrat contest, presented a distinct scenario. In this particular scenario, as indicated by the poll results, Raman secured 32% of the support, whereas Bass obtained 28%, resulting in a lead that fell within the margin of error, and furthermore, a substantial 40% of the respondents expressed uncertainty or declined to vote, which suggests a more volatile and unpredictable nature of the campaign, as well as a larger proportion of voters who were uncertain about their desired course of action.
Alexandra Marquez holds the position of politics reporter at NBC News, where she covers various aspects of political developments and news.
Scott Bland serves as a senior politics editor at NBC News, overseeing the editorial direction and content related to political news and analysis.
In order to continue reading this story without any advertisements, it is possible to subscribe and gain access to an ad-free experience, which also includes unlimited access to exclusive content and articles that are free from ads.
Karen Bass and Nithya Raman, who holds membership in the Democratic Socialists of America, have successfully emerged from a highly competitive primary field that consisted of candidates from all parties, including Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star and a registered Republican, who launched an insurgent campaign primarily focused on criticizing Bass for her handling of the Los Angeles wildfires that occurred last year.
As a result of no single candidate securing more than 50% of the total votes cast, the two candidates who finished at the top of the poll will proceed to a runoff election, which is slated to take place this fall, following the standard procedure for such elections.
NBC News had previously projected that Karen Bass would advance to the general election, and this latest development confirms that prediction, as she will now face Nithya Raman in the upcoming runoff.
Although Pratt initially trailed behind Bass on election night, securing second place, the subsequent vote counts have consistently exhibited a more Democratic-leaning trend, ultimately enabling Raman to overtake Pratt. This phenomenon is consistent with a broader pattern observed throughout California in this primary election, where the votes that were counted later have tended to lean more towards the Democratic party, following a significant increase in turnout among party members towards the end of the voting period.
Bass, who previously served as a member of Congress, first assumed the office of mayor in 2022, when she successfully defeated real estate developer Rick Caruso in a highly expensive electoral contest. However, Bass encountered intense criticism and backlash both during and after the devastating wildfires that occurred last year, including for her absence from the country at the time the fires initially broke out. The destructive wildfires resulted in the burning of over 16,000 structures, and at certain points, the fire hydrants and water tanks were depleted of water, which significantly hindered the efforts to combat the fire.
In the month of March, a significant 56% of the respondents who participated in a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times, which specifically focused on the city, expressed that they held an unfavorable view of the mayor, indicating a notable level of dissatisfaction among the city's residents.
It was within this particular context, characterized by a pronounced lack of support for the mayor, that Raman made the decision earlier in the year to initiate a campaign for the mayoral position, a move that was somewhat unexpected given her close political ties with Bass, the incumbent mayor. Raman had previously endorsed Bass for re-election before deciding to enter the mayoral race herself, and Bass had also provided her support to Raman during Raman's highly contested city council re-election campaign, which took place in 2024.
During the official launch of her campaign, Raman addressed her supporters and stated, “My team and I have made concerted efforts to intervene aggressively and effectively on the most pressing and urgent issues that our city is currently facing, including our severe housing and homelessness crisis, the need to establish a better and more responsive safety system, and ensuring that our basic services are functioning properly and efficiently to meet the needs of our citizens.
However, time and time again, whether it was in the building or at City Hall, I consistently encountered a wall of reluctance, a pronounced hesitation to move forward with the kind of transformative policy change that this city urgently requires at this particular moment in time.
During her campaign, Bass countered by arguing that Raman had failed to utilize her position on the council to implement the changes that she now claims are essential, emphasizing the need for action. At a debate held in May before the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, where Raman was also present, the mayor stated, “The problem lies in the fact that you are portraying yourself as someone who is brand new to the scene, or as if you have been on the outside looking in for nearly six years, which is not an accurate representation of your situation.”
While on the campaign trail, Bass also acknowledged the deep-seated frustrations that the public has been expressing regarding pressing issues such as the devastating wildfires and the pervasive problem of homelessness that is affecting Los Angeles, and at the same time, she highlighted the progress that her administration has made in addressing these concerns.
During an election-night speech last week, Bass exuded confidence regarding her re-election prospects, although at that particular moment, it was uncertain who her opponent would be in the subsequent runoff election.
Bass expressed her gratitude to her supporters, stating, “I appreciate you for believing in me, and I also appreciate you for standing with me when others doubted me, because you know who I am.” She further emphasized her commitment to her city, saying, “I have devoted my entire life to serving the city that I love, where I was born, and I’m going to continue to do that all the way to victory in November, as I remain dedicated to this cause.”
Bass' unstable standing with voters resulted in her facing challenges from both the left and the right sides of the political spectrum. The presence of Pratt in the race, including the social media videos he amplified and the criticisms he levied against Bass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and other prominent state Democrats, managed to draw higher-than-usual levels of national attention to the election, thereby elevating its profile.
The former star of the 2000s MTV show "The Hills" suffered the loss of his house in the devastating fires that occurred last year.
In addition to holding Bass accountable for the widespread destruction caused by last year's wildfires, he also made a pledge to eradicate the city's homelessness crisis if he were to be elected to office.
Although President Donald Trump did not formally endorse any candidate in the race, he did express his admiration for Pratt's bid, stating, "I'd like to see him do well, he's a character," which was seen as a gesture of support.
The fact that Raman has advanced to the runoff election is expected to result in a distinctly different type of race compared to the one that would have taken place if Bass had been competing against Pratt.
Prior to the primary election, a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times examined three potential one-on-one matchups, and the results of the survey indicated that both Bass and Raman held significant leads in potential contests against Pratt, suggesting that the outcome would resemble a more traditional partisan election.
However, the matchup between Bass and Raman, which was a Democrat-versus-Democrat contest, presented a distinct scenario. In this particular scenario, as indicated by the poll results, Raman secured 32% of the support, whereas Bass obtained 28%, resulting in a lead that fell within the margin of error, and furthermore, a substantial 40% of the respondents expressed uncertainty or declined to vote, which suggests a more volatile and unpredictable nature of the campaign, as well as a larger proportion of voters who were uncertain about their desired course of action.
Alexandra Marquez holds the position of politics reporter at NBC News, where she covers various aspects of political developments and news.
Scott Bland serves as a senior politics editor at NBC News, overseeing the editorial direction and content related to political news and analysis.
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