Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, advanced to a November runoff in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race after the June 2 primary, while progressive Councilmember Nithya Raman and Republican newcomer Spencer Pratt remain locked in a fight for the second runoff spot.
Under California’s election rules, a candidate who receives more than 50% of the vote wins the election outright. If no candidate clears that threshold, the top two finishers in the all-party primary advance to the Nov. 3 general election. Bass finished first in the June 2 primary but remained quite short of a majority. With ballots still being counted, she must wait to learn which challenger she will face in November.
With about 62% of votes counted as of midday June 4, Bass held about 35% of the vote, according to live results from NBC News. Pratt, a political outsider, placed second with roughly 30%, and Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), trailed with approximately 23%.
Bass, seeking a second term after taking office in 2022, campaigned on reducing homelessness in the city and improving public safety. Her administration faced voter backlash over persistent encampments, the city’s high cost of living, and criticism of her handling of the 2025 wildfires, AP News reported.
Pratt, whose home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire, campaigned on promises of tougher action on homelessness, stricter police enforcement, and faster disaster response. Pratt is a former reality television star, and his high-profile media presence may have helped mobilize some voters. Pratt, a Christian, shared a photo of himself praying before an icon of St. Jude at a Catholic church in Los Angeles in a June 3 social media post. Several Catholics shared the photo on X.
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt knelt in prayer before an icon of Saint Jude, seeking the intercession of the patron saint of impossible causes.
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) June 3, 2026
Image: Spencer Pratt pic.twitter.com/fLZd9dUCHt
Throughout her campaign, Raman called for more aggressive housing affordability policies, stronger tenant protections, firmer opposition to federal immigration operations, and faster climate reforms.
According to The Mercury News, political analysts framed Pratt’s sizable lead over Raman as a striking development in the race.
“Pratt very effectively channeled the anger and frustration that many Angelenos feel about their city. He actually managed to out-Mamdani the DSA candidate, which is no mean feat,” veteran political commentator Dan Schnur said June 3, according to the outlet.
Schnur said years of frustration over housing affordability, homelessness, transportation, and city services had been building, and the Palisades and Eaton fires appeared to sharpen that anger in a way that helped Pratt.
“Voters were certainly looking for a way to vent their anger toward City Hall,” Schnur said, according to Mercury News, “but as the campaign progressed, Pratt emerged as a recognizable way of doing that.”