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Raman Overtakes Pratt for Second Place in Los Angeles Mayoral Primary

Neutral summary

With more than 3,000 votes separating them in the latest Associated Press count, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has moved past Spencer Pratt into second place in the city's mayoral primary, setting up a potential November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. The shift is a dramatic reversal: Pratt, the former MTV reality star from 'The Hills,' had been ahead in earlier tallies, making him one of the more improbable frontrunners in recent big-city political history. Raman's surge came on the back of late-arriving mail-in and provisional ballots, a pattern that has become routine in California elections but that produced an unusually cinematic result here. The margin remains under 2 percent of votes cast, and the race is officially uncalled. Raman, a progressive who has focused her council tenure on affordable housing and tenant protections, received 27.1 percent of the vote in the most recent update. Pratt, a registered Republican who attracted backing from tech executives and wealthy donors, ran as a political outsider in a city grappling with homelessness, public safety, and years of fiscal strain. Bass, who survived a bruising recall campaign, appears positioned to advance regardless of who claims second. The final outcome may not be clear for days as Los Angeles election officials continue counting.

What the left says

Lean left

“Progressive Councilmember Raman Surges Past Pratt to Challenge Bass in LA Runoff”

Left-leaning coverage frames Raman's rise as a victory for community-rooted progressive politics over celebrity novelty and donor money. NBC News and the NYT highlight Raman's record on affordable housing and tenant protections, casting her as the candidate with actual governing experience in a city where inequality and homelessness have defined the political moment. The contrast they draw is pointed: a sitting councilmember who has championed vulnerable renters versus a reality TV personality backed by tech executives and wealthy donors. These outlets note the tightness of the race without dwelling on it, treating Raman's second-place position as a meaningful signal about where Los Angeles voters are heading. The subtext is that Bass, despite her own political difficulties, will face a challenger with a coherent policy agenda rather than a famous face.

What the right says

Right

“Reality Star Pratt Falls Behind Democrat Raman as Late Mail-In Ballots Roll In”

Right-leaning outlets covered Pratt's slide with a mix of straight reporting and visible skepticism about the ballot-counting process. Fox News and the Washington Examiner were careful to note that the race remains officially uncalled, emphasizing the narrow margin and the ongoing tally of mail-in ballots as reasons for uncertainty. The NY Post went further, running an opinion piece describing Raman as a socialist and invoking a misattributed Stalin quote about vote-counting to raise doubts about the outcome, a framing that signals distrust in late-ballot results. Fox also foregrounded Pratt's outsider appeal and his financial backing from tech figures, framing him as a disruptor in a one-party city. The consistent right-side note is that the race is not over and that Raman's lead, built on mail-in votes counted after Election Day, should be treated with caution.